Screech owl returns
March 30, 2013
We’re now half-convinced that the squirrel and the screech owl are cohabitating in the owl box. Either that or they’re still time-sharing the critter condo. We continue to spot the squirrel peeking out of the box on occasion, and then the next day the owl’s there. It’s quite bizarre.
But yesterday it was all owl. She let me take pictures from the close vantage point on the deck, and she didn’t even retreat down into the box when a whole troop of teenagers came out on the deck to look at her.
Earlier in the afternoon, I caught her napping in the doorway. So cute!
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Don’t owls EAT squirrels?
Certainly bigger owls do. We’ve been wondering whether a little screech owl could take a full-grown squirrel. My money is on the owl, but my husband says the squirrel could give it a run for its money. —Pam
When I see pictures of your resident owl it always gives me hope that an owl will move into the box I have in our garden. I hope the owl wins the box. There are enough squirrels in the world. At least around here.
I agree, Lisa, and am rooting for an owl to move into your owl box. —Pam
LOL Rachelle. My theory is that the squirrel was being held hostage and is now lunch.
I thought the squirrel was lunch the first time I saw the owl in the box. But then the squirrel returned! And then the owl returned! I’m so confused. —Pam
So the owl got a box lunch? Very cool pictures!
I think maybe the squirrel has an owl puppet.
Ha ha! I’ll be looking for a squirrel paw in the background. —Pam
Really great owl pictures! If the owl and and squirrel have babies, they could be squowls. Maybe the squirrel is just sneaking into the nest when the owl is out.
I was wondering about the hybrids. Squowl has a nice ring to it. —Pam
May I ask how many inches wide the hole opening is on your box?
It’s a 3-inch entry hole, Matt. My husband made the box from the plans on the Audubon site. —Pam
Oh Pam, those photos are priceless!! I want an owl box!! Im gonna have to go check out those plans.. I hear an owl every afternoon/evening and I love it.. Owl is one of my totems..
Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful creature!
Kim, I hope you do make an owl box. It’s so much fun to watch these fascinating birds. —Pam
AWE! CHEERS! And Happy Easter from down I35 to you and your family Pam. 🙂
Happy Easter to you too, Heather. Hope you had a lovely day! —Pam
Adorable owl! I just downloaded the plans from your link and look forward to giving this a try. I’d love to have a resident owl; any dent it might put in my squirrel population would be gravy.
I agree, MHM. I do wonder whether they regularly eat squirrels, however. They are very small birds. I understand that small rodents, snakes, lizards, large insects, and even songbirds are their regular prey. —Pam
We’re in S. Austin and we’ve been watching our neighbor’s owl box for months; it also seems to be co-occupied by squirrel and small owl. I can’t figure it out!
Maybe this isn’t as odd as I’d thought, though they seem to be the strangest of bedfellows. —Pam