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Incorporating the Celery Farm and Screech Owl Companion blogs
March 10, 2008
OWL: Ace update
I am happy to report that Ace the screech owl is back, at least on a part-time basis. 
This is great news, because he had been gone for so long.
If we are lucky — and people and squirrels keep their distance — maybe he and Mrs. Ace will raise a family.
The next four weeks are crucial.
Yesterday, he had a bit of a squirrel disturban
ce. As we were sitting down in the living room, we noticed a squirrel on top of Ace’s box.
We chased the squirrel away, but a check of the camera showed Ace agitated. Since he has been back in the nesting box for roughly seven of the past 35 days, he clearly has other places to stay.
With a little luck and human restraint, maybe he’ll hang around here. Without it, he will surely be gone.
6 comments
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Each day the male owl sleeps in the service berry tree. I believe egg laying and brooding have begun. I do not plan on taking any more photographs during this brooding period. But I periodically go by to be sure now squirrels are trying to gain access to the house.
-
I am hoping since we ran that last squirrel out of the box last weekend, and put in fresh sawdust. Both birds are doing mating ritual and last night I saw them both going in and out of the box. And this morning I caught this photograph of Daddy sitting behind her house in the service berry tree. He was asleep on the job. Ha.
-
Sounds like you were in the middle of a courtship ritual — how lucky…
As you say, best to leave them be.
I have tried to keep flash photography to a minimum and from long distance…
The owls come first! -
Jim… I have opted to not disturb the owls at all for now until the mating period is over. Last night at dusk, the female? or one of them was in the tree behind the house and the other was in the island of live oaks. I was just trying to get a photograph of the one I could see in tree. It was semi dark.
They were both doing the warbling to each other, that she would do to the babies. But then she starting doing a stressed call to the male. So, I left the yard and came back tom yard. I feel they need privacy right now or she might not accept the house. Maybe in a few weeks, I will go over and see what is what. Thank god, so far, the squirrels have stayed away. -
Keeping my fingers crossed! We’ll tiptoe past your yard!
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6 comments
Candy Pfau/sparroweye
Each day the male owl sleeps in the service berry tree. I believe egg laying and brooding have begun. I do not plan on taking any more photographs during this brooding period. But I periodically go by to be sure now squirrels are trying to gain access to the house.
Sparroweye/Candy Pfau
Link….
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66013135@N00/2334224981/sizes/o/
Sparroweye/Candy Pfau
I am hoping since we ran that last squirrel out of the box last weekend, and put in fresh sawdust. Both birds are doing mating ritual and last night I saw them both going in and out of the box. And this morning I caught this photograph of Daddy sitting behind her house in the service berry tree. He was asleep on the job. Ha.
jim wright
Sounds like you were in the middle of a courtship ritual — how lucky…
As you say, best to leave them be.
I have tried to keep flash photography to a minimum and from long distance…
The owls come first!
Sparroweye/Candy Pfau
Jim… I have opted to not disturb the owls at all for now until the mating period is over. Last night at dusk, the female? or one of them was in the tree behind the house and the other was in the island of live oaks. I was just trying to get a photograph of the one I could see in tree. It was semi dark.
They were both doing the warbling to each other, that she would do to the babies. But then she starting doing a stressed call to the male. So, I left the yard and came back tom yard. I feel they need privacy right now or she might not accept the house. Maybe in a few weeks, I will go over and see what is what. Thank god, so far, the squirrels have stayed away.
Christine
Keeping my fingers crossed! We’ll tiptoe past your yard!