That is Not a Flicker! Owl Box Success Story

 

The motivation to install a screech-owl box sprang to life late one night in September of 2020. I had just finished a late-night call with one of my sons when a faint but familiar sound from the backyard caught my attention. I wasted no time in securing a flashlight and making my way to the backyard to hunt for a Western Screech-owl. To my delight, I discovered a pair of them calling from separate trees and joyfully stood below one a moment later.

The encounter brought to mind that I had found one roosting in one of our redbud trees above some bird feeders a few years earlier. I began to think that might be able to install a box and get one to roost in my yard for the winter...and I knew just the right spot. I got way ahead of myself in that moment and envisioned a male finding the box, attracting a female to it in the spring, and keeping watch over his mate and littles ones from inside a nearby spruce tree. I had nothing to lose by planning and executing so I collaborated with another Utah birder who'd already experienced success with screech-owl boxes, and the plan was hatched!

Speaking of plans, I found some online for how to build a nest box, but my sense of urgency outweighed the experience of building a box. I received a box within days of placing an online order. I knew that hatch-year owls, hatched earlier in the spring, would be dispersing from their family groups during the fall, so it was clear that sooner would be better than later for increasing the odds of a bird finding and using a box for the approaching winter months. 

I purchased supplies from our local Home Depot. Shortly after giving myself a minor flesh wound inside the store and getting some first aid supplies from one of the store clerks, I was bandaged up and commencing my project on our patio. Apparently, the metal brackets that I picked up for securing the box to the top of a pressure-treated 4x4 post had some pretty sharp edges or burrs on them. Whoever machined those things in the shop didn't seem to have consumer safety in the front nor center of their minds when they created their master pieces. I had to make a joke of the mishap when I realized that simply applying pressure wasn't going to stop the bleeding. I was wondering if I might have to request the proverbial "wet clean up and aisle 10", but the clerks were pleasantly entertained by my predicament and retrieved a first aid kit. I digress.

Here are some images of the process from receiving the box to digging the hole and setting the post in quikrete to affixing the box at the top of the post in a quiet and inviting location in the yard.  I can share tips should you ever decide to put up a box in your yard.

 

 

 

  

Fourteen months and who-knows-how-many glances in that general direction after installing the box, I saw my very first desired resident. I was so relieved when I looked back in that corner and proclaimed, "That is not a flicker!"  The nearby conifers turned out to be a day roost at times for an owl and the preferred preening location after an owl left the box to begin its evening activities.

Sleepy Western Screech-Owl Soaking up Some Sun

I was pretty excited to have what I believe to be the same owl return to the box again the following November (2022) through mid-February of 2023. Despite putting up a second box the previous fall and having a male and a female use the boxes at the same time for a few weeks this winter, they seem to have disappeared in favor of an alternative nesting site in recent weeks.

This story will continue should one or both choose to return. Until then, enjoy the birds and wildlife that grace you with their presence.

Can't Sleep? Go Look For Owls

I had the chance to sleep in this morning, but my internal clock didn't care that it was Saturday. I tossed in bed a bit and then decided to use the early morning hours to look for an owl species I hadn't seen since last summer. While my most normal people were sleeping in their warm beds I drove to a nearby canyon and began to call for a Northern Saw-whet Owl. The area was perfect habitat for the species, but I wondered if the mild northern Utah winter allowed the tiny owls to stay higher in the mountains. I was delighted when a Saw-whet responded almost immediately to my call. Standing alone in the dark I looked in the direction of the call. I saw the silhouette of the owl as it flew across the moonlit sky above me. I followed the silhouette and relocated the owl as it gave its "toot, toot, toot..." call from its perch slightly down the hillside from me. I quietly moved down the hillside until I was able to see the silhouette on a large branch above me.

Saw-whets are about eight inches tall and are strictly nocturnal. They feed most actively just after dark and just before dawn. Knowing that Saw-whets are meat eaters I began to wonder if Screech-owls and Saw-whets shared territories. I wondered about this because Screech-owls are about the same size and also eat meat. My brief wondering came to an end when I heard a Screech-owl start calling from some trees just twenty feet away from where I just encountered the Saw-whet. I focused my attention on Screech-owl and listened to it call for several minutes.

I didn't get a photo of the Screech-owl this morning, but I did capture an image of a Screech-owl in the same area a month or so ago. The Screech-owl was a bit more camera friendly and allowed a much closer approach.

As I was about to leave the area to head home I heard the faint call of a Great Horned Owl coming down from the hillside up the canyon above me. I walked up the canyon to get closer to the owl. I then realized that a pair of owls were calling to each other. It is mating season, after all, for the Great Horned Owls. I was feeling quite fortunate after encountering three owl species within an hour, an hour during which most normal people in the state of Utah were sleeping.

"Owl" be Jiggered!

I went out tonight to help my friend Eric P locate and photograph a Western Screech-Owl. We stopped to check on a local Barn Owl roost before making our way to a couple of Screech-owl spots. We were able to watch the ghostly white figure of a Barn Owl as it flew circles in the darkness above us for a few minutes before making our way to our first Screech-Owl location. We came up empty on that spot and headed to a wooded area in our local foothills where we hit a Screech-Owl jackpot with at least two Screech-Owls calling from the darkness. What a thrill to spot the small silhouette of an owl tooting from a barren branch. I put a light on the small, portly silhouette to reveal a handsome grey fur ball, about 8 1/2 inches tall, with bright yellow eyes. Eric was able to get his photos and then gave me a moment to capture a few. I wonder if the fine downy feathers projecting from the sides of the owl's head indicate that the bird hatched this year. Or was the owl just ecstatic about seeing Eric and me?

I did my best impression of a singing Western Screech-Owl and the owl responded in kind. Eric and I both enjoyed that short vocal interaction with the fascinating little owl. I thought to myself in my little Kentucky kid way, "Owl be jiggered! I just conversed with a Screech Owl."

Looking for the Leucistic: A Unique Looking Red-tailed Hawk

Last night one of my birding buddies, Eric Peterson, emailed some photos of a unique looking hawk he found just a few miles from our homes--at a place called Art Dye Park in American Fork, Utah. As soon as I opened the image I knew I might have a chance to see my very first leucistic (lew-sis-tic) Red-tailed Hawk, a hawk with a condition that causes reduced pigmentation (coloring). Leucism is not albinism because albinos actually have pink eyes and leucistic animals do not.  Eric had seen the hawk just before sunset so I crossed my fingers and hoped it would stick around until the morning so I could get a look at it.

I drove to the area where it was last seen by Eric and found no hawks. I decided to check out the areas surrounding the park while waiting for the sun to crest the mountains. I checked out the nearby golf course, Fox Hollow. I found a mix of ducks crowding a small part of a pond that had not frozen over. I took roll and identified about seven species of waterfowl in the little water hole. I drove back to Art Dye Park and came up empty again. I checked out another nearby park and came up empty on hawks. A resident Western Screech-Owl, however, was sunning himself in his south-facing winter roost as the sun was rising. It's pretty well camouflaged. You wouldn't know it was there if it weren't first pointed out by Chickadees and Scrub-Jays who were squawking at it.

Western Screech-Owl Highland, UT

Here's a closer look after the sunlight hit the owl more directly.

Western Screech-Owl Highland, UT

As I was walking back to my truck I had a Northern Pintail flyover. It circled above once to give me notice so when it circled again I captured some images.

Drake Northern Pintail Highland, UT

Drake Northern Pintail Highland, UT

I checked lots of trees surrounding the park on my way out and still found no hawks. I decided I needed to leave for work and made my way to a main road. Of course, I was glancing over at distant trees along the way. In a split second a vertically oriented white spot in a tree about 200 yards away caught my attention. I did a double and triple take since I was driving and couldn't glance for long. I turned off the main road and got within about 100 yards of what I was hoping was the target hawk. I could hardly contain myself when I got my binoculars on it and it turned out to be the hawk. The image below was taken from half the distance of when I first spotted the hawk. I was quite fortunate to notice the bird from that original distance while driving.

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk Highland, UT

I approached a little closer to get a better look. What a beautiful sight--seeing such a familiar species of bird in such an unusual plumage.

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk Highland, UT

The hawk took flight and showed upper and lower sides of all but the tail. I noticed that at least one tail feather was all white as well as the tip of one other tail feather. The rest of the tail feathers showed a rather typical rufous color on the upper side.

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk Highland, UT

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk Highland, UT

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk Highland, UT

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk Highland, UT

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk Highland, UT

The hawk perched again soon after it took flight. There are lots of trees in which the hawk can rest and from which it can perch hunt. Large fields provide good hunting grounds and a bit of a cushion from human traffic. I think there is a good chance it will stick around.

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk Highland, UT

Owl Serendipity Part 2: This Time With Video

Well, my first attempt at including video in a blog post failed when I posted about the Western Screech-Owl I discovered in my backyard this past Sunday evening. I eventually removed all references and links to the video from that post. Lucky for me the owl was perched in a Redbud Tree when I returned home from work Wednesday evening. I was able to capture some more photos and video before it got too dark. This time, thank goodness, I was able to overcome my video difficulties and was successful with uploading one to YouTube, which allowed me to link to my blog.

You can see my previous post with images and the story behind the owl sighting by clicking here.

I'll lead off with a few additional close-ups of the owl perched in the Redbud Tree next to our patio.

Western Screech-Owl in Redbud Tree Utah County, UT

Western Screech-Owl in Redbud Tree Utah County, UT

Western Screech-Owl in Redbud Tree Utah County, UT

Western Screech-Owl in Redbud Tree Utah County, UT

So here is my first video ever being shared on my blog. It shows a rather calm individual observing its observers, turning its head, blinking its eyes, and breathing. You can see the chest/belly area slowly expand and contract as it inhales and exhales. You can also see the pupils expand and contract as it looks away from and toward a light. This clip was recorded when I first saw the owl Sunday evening.