Nature Done Wright

   When I got home last night, I thought I would check the screech-cam monitor just to see if I had missed anything on this incredibly rainy night.
   To my surprise, Ace had already caught some food and returned to the nesting box with it.
   I am thinking that the former furry mammal was a mole.  It is now officially part of the food chain.
   When I activated the monitor this morning (below), Ace had returned from a night of hunting, and the mole meal was still there.
   My guess that Ace will eat the mole before heading out this afternoon. I noticed he was chewing on something last week, but did not see what it was.
  This behavior is fairly typical of male screech owls as they take up residence and defend their turf over the winter.
   Closer to March, my guess is that Ace will start eating more birds so that he can feather his nest and show his (once and future) mate that he is a good provider.