Transformer Screech Owls - Taking Camouflage to a Higher Level

Note: We were fortunate enough to make some fantastic observations and videos of unique Screech Owl behavior in our backyard during the nesting season this past May. These dynamic little owls are a lot more complex and intelligent than any literature I've read gives them credit for. This Blog will be edited with more details and analysis over time. 

                                 

     We hoped the Screech Owls were going to come back this spring after success in 2011. However, in late December 2011 the nest box was taken over by squirrels and stuffed with twigs. After cleaning it out, wood rats tried to move in, and then the squirrels started coming back - that's a story for another blog post. It was clear the location up on a 12 foot high 2x4 on our back fence in the woods wasn't going to work     - it was a jungle back there and there was no chance of a successful season with the box in that location. As a last resort, I put the nest box only about 8 feet off the ground at the gable end on an aluminum outbuilding in January, installed the nest cam and we waited. Not the best                    
location, but a safe location that no critters could get to.  
                                

     The grey male and red female could be heard, and occasionally seen, courting in early March. They were first seen inside the box on March 10th and the first egg was laid on March 13th - success! Everything went smoothly with lots of activity inside the box and frequent nighttime feeding by the male Screech Owl. The female only left the nest briefly at night - a routine had set in. 

Screech Owl Nest Box Location and usual location of the parents.

A video showing the parents on the job in the positions in the photo above

     April 18th - I walked around the back of the "shed" and came face-to-face with a big pair of yellow eyes about 6 feet off the ground right in front of me at eye level - stopped - what was that? - and then it was gone. I approached slowly and it was the male grey Screech Owl. He would not look at me, I backed off and he squinted, but didn't move. I left him alone, but came back each evening and walked slowly along the fence line looking in the dense oaks and pepper trees and found him there each day in various different positions and started to film him at a distance with a telephoto lens  He had probably been there since March waiting to start hunting and feeding as soon as it got dark, 

Male Screech Owl Hiding Near Nest box

                                    Transformer Owl Part One - The "Predator" Effect.

     Looking at the tapes from May first I saw the cloaking behavior from the male owl similar to when we first met, although not as extreme as I saw that first night. He was apparently reacting to me watering the plants and moving closer with the hose as the video ran on a tripod. This is shape-shifting at its best. He never really "warmed" up to us over two months  and never once faced us with both eyes fully open. 

Male Easter Grey Screech Owl - before and after 

                                                

Video of Transformation

Transformer Owl Part Two - Extreme Danger

     The red female Screech Owl moved out of the nest box for the most part on May 2nd as it was getting hot and crowded in there. She set up her post to guard the nest in a Palmetto Tree near and above the nest where she could come to the rescue during the day if needed. She did an amazing job of finding spots with red color that she could blend in with. But she was in the open in the daytime - a very dangerous position for her. Here she spots a large Red Shouldered Hawk on the house rooftop - she is at 12 feet and looking up - the reaction here is fierce and immediate. In the daytime the big hawk could have her for lunch in a heartbeat  The Hawks rule the daytime skies - the Owls the night!

Extreme Rapid Transformation - Danger!

Extreme Rapid Transformation - Danger!

Red Shouldered Hawks in the backyard use the same perches in the daytime that the owls use at night!

Transformer Owl Part Three - Mild Danger - Amazing Slow Transform

     The red female had found the perfect spot to sit in the daytime on the cut end of an old reddish brown Palmetto Branch next to another red/brown branch. Here a large Raccoon rummaging around in the daytime is scared and runs through a pile of old wood and brush and climbs the fence right below the owl. She is initially on high alert by the noise and then assess the situation and slowly transforms into a branch as the Raccoon walks by on the fence just below. Since the Raccoon was so close a slow but complete transform seemed to be her choice to avoid attracting attention.

On Center Stage - The Great Transformer Screech Owl

Transformer Screech Owl - Before and After

Screech Owls are not safe in trees with these guys around.

Transformer Owl Part Four - Minor Threat

Later the same Raccoon is walking along the fence below the red female and you can see by her reaction she is on guard and does a slight transformer move as she does not sense significant danger - but she  is  watchful and ready.

Not Too Worried

                                     
                                           Transformer Owl Part Five - Meh - You are not worthy!

     Here I'm coming to get the camera after running 14 minutes of video and as I come around the shed into view the female is initially mildly concerned, but when she sees it's me she give a rather indifferent expression and goes back to relaxing. Their situational awareness and ability to parse threats and respond to many different scenarios is amazing!

Screech Owl not particular interested in humans!

  

Owlbert Just Hanging Out

Video from May  6 in the late afternoon five days before fledging. Its hot and crowded in the nest box and the owlets are taking a nap. The mother has been  spending her time outside the nest box for several days now. The ever curious and resourceful Owlbert,  the second eldest has found a unique way to get some space and stay a bit cooler by hanging upside down from the perching bar over the other two owlets . A bat imitation - Brilliant!

Owl Photography and Videography - Price drop on Canon SX40 HS

I wouldn't normally resort to this kind of shameless commercial plug, but the price just dropped significantly on the camera I use. This is a good deal on a great point-and-shoot Canon SX40 bridge camera. I paid significantly more for mine from Amazon and it took all the pictures and HD videos you will see on this page. Its perfect if you are thinking about getting more involved in photographing or filming birds and wildlife as a hobby without going all-in on a professional outfit you'll be reluctant to damage or lug around the wilds. At the price point of $339 its a deal! Do your research.  If it goes back up in price wait it out.
 This post goes into more detail. I will never recommend a product I don't own, use, and enjoy! Another benefit of Canon point and shoots is that there is a whole community of developers making enhancements to the software to make them do all the things you want like HDR, RAW and time lapse and motion detection photography. Its called CHDK and its amazing. More on this software enhancement in a future post.

Example of Screech Owl Taken With Canon SX40 HS (note:resolution is reduced so it can be uploaded to web)

                       

Return of Baby Owl Eye Pops Out - Peekaboo Owl

The character, personality and talent of the Screech Owl never ceases to amaze as we go through the videos from the 2012 season. Thanks to the kind folks at Cute Overload  for bringing attention to the original  Baby Owl Eye Pops Out  video. For your viewing entertainment is the second episode of the middle owlet, a male grey eastern Screech Owl, trying to fit his head  through the nest box hole occupied by his older sister - A red morph eastern Screech Owl. Here he has figured out that he can more easily get out at the bottom of the nest hole under his sisters chin. The third owlet was considerably slower on the learner curve than these two and was in the bottom of the nest box kicking the wood chips around at this time - I'll have to upload some video of that some day. This means that the slower smaller third owl will also not get the first food delivered to the box in the evening. These videos are a bit later than the first  Baby Owl Eye Pops Out episode and they are expecting to be fed soon. Whoever dominates the nest entrance gets the most food!

The environmental awareness and natural curiosity of the middle owl was on display from the early days in the nest box. We'll upload other videos in the coming weeks showing this fellow in action. Cute Overload called him Owlbert and I like that - he seems a bit of a free spirit and probably a bit of trouble - Owlbert!! what are you up to now?

Night Noises - Screech Owl Calls Around the Campfire

The sounds of late summer night around the campfire. Screech Owls are typically scarcely seen and pretty much silent since leaving the nesting site in May. They tend to begin to make some noise again in late summer. Dark - the realm of the Screech Owl. It's starting to get a little nicer out at night now and fall is coming - get outside and enjoy a fire and the noises of the night! 

Owlet Swallows a Whole Lizard

As I continue to go over the video from this seasons nest box camera I come up with jewels like this. The largest owlet was barely a week old on April 17th when it attempted to swallow an entire lizard that the parents dropped into the nest box. By this time both parents would immediately start hunting after dark dropping large amounts of food, mostly lizards, into the nest box. There intent is to come back shortly and tear up the lizards for the owlets, but one couldn't wait even though it could barely see. There seemed to be an inexhaustible supply of lizards this spring partly due no doubt to the fact that it was a very warm winter. It also speaks to the lack of pesticides in the backyard - I know that's a hard call for some, but Palmetto Bugs and Mole Crickets and such along with lizards make up a large portion of their diet at nesting time. Note that the mother Screech Owl comes to the rescue of the little guy near the end to help him with the lizard.