Nature Done Wright

  Welcome to Birds, Bats and Beyond, Jim Wright’s blog about North Jersey nature and — for the next two months or so — a screech owl named Ace.

  Thanks to a tiny microphone and an infrared video camera I call the screech cam, I am able to keep an eye and ear on Ace’s activities, then post those sights and sounds on this blog.

   For the first three months, Ace led the lonely existence of a bachelor, hanging out in his pad all day and going out on the town at night.

  (Click on images for larger view.)

  Mostly Ace dined out, but in recent weeks weeks he has been grabbing meals and bringing them back to the nest to eat.

    Two mornings ago, I discovered that another screech owl had arrived on the scene and ensconced itself in a nearby wood-duck nesting box.

  My owl-expert friends think this new owl is likely a female, and we are hoping that two might just become an item.

    In the meantime, the local chickadees, nuthatches and other small birds have been quite miffed about the new owl’s arrival. Every time she sticks her head out of the box, they mob her — chirping frantically and dive-bombing the opening.

  Talk about ruffled feathers.

* * *

  On Monday evening just after 6 p.m., both owls were perched in the openings of their boxes. As darkness descended, the new owl flew off. A minute later, Ace took off in the same direction.

* * *

  With yesterday’s high winds, neither Ace nor his potential paramour was in sight while I was around, but thanks to the screech cam, I could see Ace huddled in his nesting box, waiting for spring to hurry up and arrive.