Showing posts with label Eastern Screech Owl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eastern Screech Owl. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Blue Jays Harass Screech Owls in Nest Box


Blue Jays harass the female Eastern Screech Owl nesting in the nest box every morning - this attempted intimidation may make the Blue Jays - the Backyard micro managers - feel better, but I'm not sure what purpose it serves as the owls rule the night and the male owl is quietly watching all this activity from his hidden perch in the deep cover of Palmetto trees nearby. Screech Owls readily hunt and eat songbirds sleeping in trees at night. Birds that are late to turn in like Cardinals and Dove can sometimes be taken by the male owl right at dusk. If the Blue Jays were to discover the male owls daytime roost in the heavy brush they would attack him mercilessly and he would retreat. It is unlikely such pressure would stop the owls from using the nest box, but if one were to put a perch on the front of the nest box it could very well lead to failure of nesting as such a perch could be used to more seriously harass and fight with the female owl and get at the eggs.  Such are the ways of Nature.

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Blue Jays Harass Screech Owls in Nest Box


Sunday, February 21, 2016

Eastern Screech Owl Calling At Nest Box



Male Eastern Screech Owl whole body shakes as he makes the classic "trilling" sounds at dusk upon arriving at the nest box to hunt and bring food to the female. Their courtship period is the longest I've seen in five years and eggs should start showing up any day now. Screech Owls make a wide variety of interesting calls - many of them can be heard on this playlist:
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Eastern Screech Owl Calling At Nest Box





Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Cute Baby Eastern Screech Owl in Tree



First Screech Owlet to leave the nest box earlier this spring is sitting high in a tree near the nest box. It is a rocking windy day, but the little guy is doing alright. The parents will continue to feed the fledglings for several weeks. 

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Cute Baby Eastern Screech Owl in Tree



Cute Baby Eastern Screech Owl in Tree



Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Amazing Wild Baby Screech Owls Fed By Parents



Eastern Screech Owl parents feed wild caught food to the three owlets in the nest box. The owlets can now swallow entire frogs and lizards and have to fight for position at the entrance and in a manner seem to take turns eating, but have to be pushed out of the way at times. Watch for one owlet who doesn't like Cicadas and lets it go only to be attacked by it later! Highlights from the live broadcast of April 7th, 2015.  

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Wild Baby Screech Owls


Sunday, March 1, 2015

Eastern Screech Owl Mating Update



Eastern Screech Owls continue their courtship activity in and around the nest box. A lot of comings and goings, but no eggs yet. Nightly activity is increasing and Mr. Owl seems like a reliable provider so all systems appear "Go"!
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Eastern Screech Owl



Thursday, February 5, 2015

Eastern Screech Owl Prepares Nest Box



Female Eastern Screech Owl is getting the nest box reading for egg laying - hopefully in a week or so! A little early this year, but it has been a very mild winter so far in Florida. Have not spotted the male yet, but they are no doubt in the courtship process.

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Eastern Screech Owl in Nest Box

Monday, December 15, 2014

Backyard Birding and Beyond Channel Trailer



I updated the promo for the YouTube channel www.youtube.com/MyBackyardBirding to make it shorter and more engaging. Let me know if you have any feedback. 

Welcome to Backyard Birding ....and Beyond! Sharing original videos of birds, wildlife and Nature observed in the backyard and in my travels. New HD videos are uploaded weekly. Subscribe, comment and share the love of Nature! Adventure is as near as the Backyard!   Backyard Birder (BB)
Video clips included:
Dance Of The Nuthatch !
Funniest and Cutest Baby Screech Owls!
Painted Buntings - Up Close and Hungry!
Pileated Woodpeckers Amazing Calls!
Wild Transformer Owls - New and Natural!
Funniest and Cutest Baby Squirrels !
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White Breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Screech Owl, Painted Bunting, Pileated Woodpecker, Baby Red Squirrels




Sunday, November 30, 2014

Eastern Screech Owl



Male Eastern Screech Owl sitting in tree hidden among the branches, but his big eyes give him away.

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Eastern Screech Owl
Eastern Screech Owl

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Haunting Screech Owl Calls For Halloween



A most amazing recording of a female Eastern Screech Owl calling in an unusual manner was captured during this years breeding season as she was sitting on three eggs. This is probably a type of contact call with the male outside in a nearby tree - but is unusual for a Screech Owl call. With dozens of hours of recordings this is the only time I can recall the rhythmic trilling going on for so long. The original recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-p-ec-DHlw was captured live and lasts almost an hour with approximately one minute between calls. The original video audio trace is shown below.  This short two minute video Haunting Screech Owl Calls for Halloween - contains highlights of the extended live recording and was made by editing together the first 18 consecutive calls of seven seconds each compressed in time. The audio trace of this shorter video is shown below. Also, and audio trace of an individual call is shown below and each of these calls contains more than 70 segments. You can see the owls entire body shake as she makes these amazing calls! Enjoy......

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Eastern Screech Owl Recording
Audio Trace of Original Live Recording - 27 Calls in about 25 minutes.

Eastern Screech Owl Recording
Audio Trace of the Remix Video of the first 18 calls cut into seven second sections


Eastern Screech Owl Recording
Audio Trace of an individual Screech Owl haunting call - Over 70 segments in each call.


Eastern Screech Owl
This is what Mrs. Owl looks like in daytime

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Haunting Screech Owl Calls




Classic low-frequency haunting trilling calls from mother Screech Owl Live From the Nest Box - March 24th. Her whole body will shake as she make this rhythmic call about every 45 to 60 seconds. Sitting on three eggs all day - Mother owl will be ready to leave the nest box briefly around dusk and meet the male who will be waiting for her with food. Before she leaves you will hear them call each other and make contact. She will go back and forth to the nest a few time during the evening and the male will likely bring her food several times. Some nights they can be a bit chatty, but mostly for now her focus is on incubating the egss. Hatching of the three eggs is expected to begin around March 29th.

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Red Morph Eastern Screech Owl Haunting Calls

Video:  Haunting Screech Owl Trilling Calls

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Screech Owl Sitting on Three Eggs in Nest Box



Eastern Screech Owls are settling into a routine - looks like three eggs is it. Same as last three years. Hatching should begin around March 31st. Will start experimenting with some live broadcasts in the coming days. The owls have picked a different nest box this year with the older camera and the microphone is a little shaky but working. I have not located the male owls daytime hiding spot yet. He is no doubt hiding in the dense brush within sight of the nest, but their camouflage ability is amazing. Stay tuned!

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Video: Screech Owl Sitting on Three Eggs in Nest Box

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Eastern Screech Owl Calls - Third Egg in Nest Box



Eastern Screech Owls now have three eggs - some classic screech owl calls and Mr. Owl brings a big meal to the mother owl at the 1:40 mark. Not sure exactly what it was, it may be another bird. She will now spend most of her time sitting on the eggs after short trips outside at dusk and dawn with the male bringing food.

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Eastern Screech Owl Eggs in Nest Box



Friday, March 7, 2014

Eastern Screech Owl Call - Second Egg of 2014



Eastern Screech Owl Nest Box Callings

Mother Red Morph Eastern Screech Owl is returning at dawn and calling softly to the male nearby as is her custom. She will spend the day sitting on the now two eggs. She will likely lay another egg tonight. Last year there were four eggs and one didn't hatch. It is obvious from the feathers in the nest box that she has eaten another small bird the previous day - that is just the way of Nature. Most of their diet consists of lizards, small snakes and large bugs.

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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Eastern Screech Owls Return to Nest Box for 2014



The Eastern Screech Owls have returned for 2014! Courtship and mating now - hopefully eggs within 2 weeks! The male can be seen in the outside nighttime video checking out one of the nest boxes - the one they have used for the past three years, but Ms Screech Owl seems to prefer the other somewhat larger nest box and has spent a few days in there sprucing it up. As you can see she was not too happy to have her picture taken for the video thumbnail! She is the same mother from the past three years which is pretty remarkable. If all goes well eggs will be lain in one of the boxes in the next week or two. It is possible that once these owls stake out a box for sure and stop defending one of the boxes that the other box will be occupied by another Screech Owl couple a little lower on the "pecking order" -perhaps their young from previous years. Should be another exciting season - stay tuned! 

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Eastern Screech Owl Nest Box

Not exactly excited at having her picture taken!
Video: Eastern Screech Owls Return to Nest Box for 2014

Friday, February 7, 2014

International Festival of Owls - March 7-9 Houston, Minnesota

International Festival of Owls





Billed as the "only full-weekend, all-owl event in North America" the International Festival of Owls runs from March 7-9, 2014 in Houston, Minnesota. Sounds like a great time for owl-lovers - a whole weekend dedicated to owls with programs for children and adults with lots of live owls and owl-related events and a photography contest.  For the more serious owl aficionados, there are internationally known speakers, the annual World Owl Hall of Fame awards, and special Outdoor Owl Photography sessions. If you love owls this sounds like a lot of fun for a good cause. 

The mission of the International Festival of Owls is to: 
- spark a personal connection to owls and the environments we share with them
- provide financial support for the Houston Nature Center
- stimulate tourism in the Houston area



Why an International Festival of Owls in Houston, Minnesota you might ask?  Check out their web page and find out for yourself!


Great Horned Owl

Alice the Great Horned Owl. The festival started as a celebration of her hatch-day.


(c) Images by Ingavalson

Monday, February 3, 2014

Five Injured Screech Owls Nursed Back to Health in Maryland

Eastern Screech Owl Rehab Katherine Frey/Washington Post)

Wearing gloves to protect herself from the injured screech owl's claws and beak, Suzanne Shoemaker gets ready to feed Angora. (



 Injured Screech Owl Pepe Le Pew at Moon Raptor Center

Friday, January 10, 2014

Eastern Screech Owl Camouflage and Defensive Survival Techniques



Eastern Screech Owl Camouflage and Defensive Techniques - A Mini-Documentary. YouTube videos of a White-faced Scops-Owl "performing" by being frightened (i.e. abused) into changing it's appearance on a Japanese TV show for laughs led to names such as Transformer Owl, Evil Owl, Dracula Owl etc. In fact, many small owls use "Concealing Postures" or the German word "Tarnstellung"  to survive in a very hostile world. Perhaps the very best small owl that does this and so much more is the relatively little observed or studied Eastern Screech Owl. Hours of footage over two years of one female Red-Morph Eastern Screech Owl guarding her nest box in Florida were combined into this short mini-documentary so that these amazing creatures can be appreciated for their tenacious survival instincts and dedication to raising their young in a natural environment. 

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Transformer Owl Eastern Screech Owl

Transformer Owl Eastern Screech Owl

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Transformer Owl - The Original Mini-Documentary



The Real, Wild "Transformer Owl "! They have been called Transformer Owl, Shapeshifter Owl, Evil Owl, Dracula Owl etc. In fact, many small owls use "Concealing Postures" or the German word "Tarnstellung"  to survive in a very hostile world. Far from evil or scary, they are amazing small creatures that have unusual adaptive ability to change their appearance. Perhaps the very best small owl that does this and so much more is the little observed or studied Eastern Screech Owl. Hours of footage over two years of one female Red-Morph Eastern Screech Owl guarding her nest box in Florida were combined into this short mini-documentary so that these amazing creatures can be appreciated for their tenacious survival instincts and dedication to raising their young in a natural environment. 

More info at: http://screech-owls.blogspot.com/2012/09/transformer-screech-owls-taking.html   and
http://screech-owls.blogspot.com/2013/05/transformer-owl-takes-down-curious-and.html

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Incredible Ability to Alter Appearance - Transformer Owl - The Original Mini-Documentary

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Red Squirrels Kittens Raised in a Screech Owl Nest Box

A mother Red Squirrel raised her five kittens in one of our Screech Owl nest boxes and rather than a nuisance this was a delight. The only regret was not having a camera set up inside. Unlike Gray Squirrels the little Reds don't seem to make a mess of the box and as they have vacated by mid-October the owls can have it back for late winter nesting. I grew rather fond of these little Red Squirrel kittens (that's what baby squirrels are called) and will have some really cute videos in the coming weeks. If you subscribe to the companion YouTube channel you will be sure and get the latest videos - they will be delightful - I guaranty it! Subscribe at: 

Red Squirrel babies (kittens) in a Screech Owl nest box

Two of the five Red Squirrel Kittens - just like owlets they find their first glimpse of humans fascinating.

Red Squirrel babies (kittens) in a Screech Owl nest box

This cute one with the pointy ears spent its early days staring out at the big world out there to be explored.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Blind Baby Screech Owl Undergoes Eye Surgery

Here is an interesting story out of Southfield, Michigan from Amy Akers of WLNS TV 6 Lansing - Jackson.
A baby Eastern Screech Owl that was born blind and unable to care for itself was living at the Howell Nature Center in Michigan and underwent cataract surgery by a veterinary ophthalmologist in the hopes of returning the creature to normal. It is probably unlikely that this owl could ever be returned to the wild, but hopefully I'll hear of an update on its progress and pass it on. What is fascinating about this story is how far veterinary medicine/science has evolved and the dedication of people and organizations to help injured animals. Check out the Howell Nature Center website!


Screech Owl Undergoes Eye Surgery
Surgery completed - the little Screech Owl  is coming out of Anesthesia. 

Screech Owl Undergoes Eye Surgery
Screech Owl before surgery

Screech Owl Undergoes Eye Surgery
Doctor Gwen Sila performing eye survery on Screech Owl.   

Source of all photos : Baby Screech Owl Undergoes Eye Surgery