If you have followed this blog for very long, you know that one of the main reasons that my husband and I are "green" gardeners is because we like to share our landscape with the local wildlife.
We were rewarded for our efforts this weekend when we looked up and saw this beautiful little screech owl sitting in the opening of the large nest box we had built.
We built the nest box a few years ago when we saw a pair of barred owls hanging around. Although we have never seen the barred owls use the box, all sorts of other birds and critters visit or live in the box, from time to time.
This little screech owl is definitely the cutest!
For more information about gardening for wildlife, visit this post:
10 Tips for a Wildlife Friendly Garden or use the "Search this site box" to search for widlife, hummingbirds, birds, butterflies, etc.
Very impressive! It's hard to see owls, esp. the small ones. I might just have to build an owl box for our house. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful photo! I too had a Barred Owl box up for several years that was used by everything but a Barred Owl. One very cold winter day, I spotted a red-phase Eastern Screech Owl in the big hole of that box which was covered with snow. I couldn't understand why the little owl had decided to spend the day in that huge box instead of inside one of the smaller boxes it had already made use of on other days. If you have smaller, more appropriately sized boxes up, you may well get a pair to nest. These birds nest almost every year in my yard. I wrote an article for Birders World in 1999 called "The Best Way to See Screech Owls. I would be happy to e-mail it to anyone who wishes to contact me at marlenecondon@aol.com
ReplyDeleteNow THAT is exciting, Betsy!! What a thrill;-)
ReplyDeletepretty impressive and inspirational – definitely doing the owl condo :)
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