Category Archives: Eastern Screech Owl

Dueling Owl Cams

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In January, an Eastern Screech Owl, as well as some other neighborhood wildlife, were making use of our backyard owl nest box as a critter b-n-b. Our owl (named Uptown Girl–I’m pretty sure we’ve hosted the same couple for a few years now) only stayed in the box for one day. I’d see and hear her from time to time, but realized that when she trilled, there was no answering call, and that observation, along with the fact that she didn’t stay in the box again, led me to believe that her mate (Shy Guy) had disappeared. Eastern Screech owls mate for life and co-parent their chicks.

Well, that’s a sad, sad thought: no owl family in our back garden for the year, unless Uptown Girl finds another mate or another couple moves into the territory.

Recently, an Eastern Screech has rested in the nest box during the days and last night we heard a rich, deep Screech trill–does she have a new mate? Is this an entirely new pair? Time will tell whether there’s a Screech Owl family in the making, but typically, Screeches don’t hang out in nest boxes unless they’re in the family way.

At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Athena, the resident Great Horned Owl, has also set up her nursery. Each year, for the past 14 years, a Great Horned Owl has nested atop the main entry way to the courtyard of the garden, much to the delight of visitors and staff. The owl is always named ‘Athena’. This year, excited wildflower geeks and bird nerds can intimately observe Athena and her (so far) two eggs. The LBJWC partnered with Cornell Lab of Ornithology and have installed a camera which you can read about here, to watch the beautiful owl and her offspring. Folks (like me!) from all over the world are thrilled!

In my case, I am enjoying dueling owl cams: our little Screech paired with lovely Athena, each on different monitors all day, each day, and during the evening. I’m not obsessed, no siree!

The Cornell camera is a significantly better camera than ours–if that’s not obvious from this photo. (Maybe Cornell could offer one of their cams for our backyard?). But I can watch my own little owl and appreciate her resting time in the nest box, beak snuggling in a comforting corner, safe from annoying Blue Jays.

I’ve learned to observe and appreciate, but also understand that nature is not always cooperative or kind, and the world is tough for wildlife. I hope both Athena and our owl (Uptown Girl?) both have healthy chicks and successful fledglings. And this spring, no matter the outcome, I’ll have a front-row seat to their lives as parents.

Critter B & B

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With a new camera installed and functional, we’ve recently observed our Eastern Screech Owl nest box host a variety of critters, some that we didn’t want to see in the box.

Even with the cuteness of two little rats curled up together, the view of them snoozing away in the nest box did not thrill us. So, after they vacated, we closed the box for a few days.

After we reopened the nest box for business, other rats, or maybe the same ones–they all look alike to me–have come and gone over these past few weeks. Fortunately, none hung around for any length of time. 

Then, it was the rat relatives who nosed in for some naps,

…and private time away from noisy neighborhood Blue Jays. 

For the last week, in the wee early morning hours, just at sunrise, I’ve witnessed an Eastern Screech Owl, Megascops asio swoop to the box for inspection. She’d perch at the entrance hole, sit a bit, then climb in for a look-see. Usually, she flew back to a neighbor’s tree to spend her day. Today, she climbed in and stayed in the box for the day.

I’m not sure she’s thrilled with my oohing and aahing but she didn’t dart back into the box out of fear or annoyance, only lazily turned to look at me, squinting in the cheery afternoon sun. I’m glad she’s not threatened by my presence. 

I’m pretty sure this is the same female that we’ve hosted in the box for the last few years. She loves to be outside, perched in trees, even after the sunrise. I call her Uptown Girl. Her mate is Shy Guy and so far, I haven’t seen him. These two have successfully brooded chicks for the past two to three years. Last year, shortly before the eggs were to hatch, the nest box was raided, probably by a fox. After they abandoned our box, I discovered that they’d settled in a neighbor’s tree. I watched for several weeks and was rewarded by watching two fledglings learn to fly successfully under the careful tutelage of their parents. I hope they survived summer and have found their own territory and mates, ready to raise families.

It’s never a sure thing that the owls will stick around, or be safe. A juvenile Great Horned Owl has been in our neighborhood this winter and raccoons and foxes are always a danger to eggs and nestlings. I wish this female and her mate good things in their future. 

Dad’s Duty

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It appears that our Eastern Screech Owl, Megascops asio, couple are in the family way. About 12 days ago, dad owl moved from his daytime perch in the back neighbor’s ash tree, located at the opposite end of my garden from the nest box, to varying spots that are within 10-20 feet from the nest box. That he is now hanging out so close to the nest box indicates not only eggs, but that they’ve begun to hatch. As well, I haven’t seen any sign of mama, as I’m certain that she’s been busy brooding the eggs and is now caring for hatchlings. She probably leaves the nest box briefly in the evenings (everybody has to pee and poo), but she’s mostly in the box with the chicks. Dad is providing meals for the whole family at this point in time. I haven’t seen a rat in weeks!

Some days, dad perches in my SIL’s large ash tree (just over the fence line), other days he’s in our Red Oak tree, just a few feet above the nest box. No matter which perch he chooses, he snoozes, but he’s also keenly aware of what goes on in the garden and he keeps a wary eye on our activities.

Hanging out in our Red Oak tree, he stares at me while I snap a photo.

Our poor owls have had a run of bad luck for about 5 years, following years of successful families raised. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for appearances of fuzzy owlets the first week of May. I’m likely to see mama hang out more in the trees soon, too, because those hungry chicks will be getting big and the box will be crowded.

Our camera stopped working last year after the owls abandoned the nest and we didn’t replace it. I regret that we didn’t, as I’d love to observe the chicks’ progress and the parents’ devotion and care. Even so, I like searching for dad each morning as he sits sentry, protecting his family, and I look forward to seeing mama again, and in time, the darling owlets.