Nature Done Wright

  November is here. In years past, that has meant male screech owls staking out their turf near my backyard.

  Yesterday, for example, my wife Patty saw chickadees having a hissy fit at the wood duck box near our backyard, and we wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t have a temporary owl tenant.  We have seen them there before they move in to the higher owl box.

   If you have heard screech owls near your backyard, you might want to put up a screech owl box of your own.

   It might take a year or two, but we have found it very rewarding, so you might as well get started now.

    In this post, I am offering some thoughts on the process, based on my somewhat limited albeit successful experience.

    Other owlers may suggest different advice. Theirs may be just as useful. No two screech owls are alike.

   Here are the basics. You want a screech owl box with a three-inch-diameter hole. You can buy one at a birding supply store or build it yourself if you are handy. 

   You can try a box with a larger hole, and it may work fine, but you will increase your chances of getting other birds and critters. Last spring a female wood duck tried to get into my owl box — while the female screech owl was hatching her eggs.

    Once you have the box, put two inches of wood chips on the floor, and attach the box to a tree. You should make sure the box is at least eight feet off the ground and that it gets afternoon sun.

    It also makes sense to place the box where you can see it without too much trouble.

     Owls appear fairly regularly at the opening each afternoon once they move in (and often in the early morning), and they are fun to watch.

    I have read where some recommend a north-facing box; mine has faced south-southwest, I think, and have had owls three years in a row.

   I highly recommend getting a remote video cam. You can get one prewired, with a built-in mike and 100 feet of cable, for under $100, and not worry too much about burying the cable.  (It’s cheaper to replace the cable than dig a trench and lay PVC pipe for 50 yards.)

   You can do a search for "screech owl" and "video camera" and find a plug-and-play model. Some come with an owl box, at an extra price.

   You might put flashing around the tree about three feet up to reduce visits from unwanted visitors, and clear out from under the nesting box so that if you ever do get owl babies, they have a safe place to land when they jump in early June.

   I am in the process of having a half-fallen tree removed from 15 yards in front of the box. I am afraid it will fall at some point and harm my neighbor’s property, and I’d rather get it done before an owl moves in.

   If you plan to have your own owl box, good luck, and e-mail this blog if you have questions or comments.  I am not an expert, but in a pinch I do contact some very knowledgeable owlers.