More Sites

2011 Season has arrived with Penny in the box...

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/screech-owl-nestbox

Information from the site


Screech Owl Nestbox

2010 Nesting Season - This next box is located in Eastern Pa

Penny and Parker had four eggs. It appears she started incubating after the third egg was laid, but it's hard to say for sure. Only one egg hatched this year.

First Egg - 03/25/10 ... 2010 Nesting Season - This next box is located in Eastern Pa

Penny and Parker had four eggs. It appears she started incubating after the third egg was laid, but it's hard to say for sure. Only one egg hatched this year.

First Egg - 03/25/10
Second Egg - 03/27/10
Third Egg - 03/29/10
Fourth Egg = 04/02/10

First Hatch - 04/26/10

Dates Penny and Parker have roosted together:

03/24/10 to 04/03/10
04/05
04/07 to 04/10

If we are out in the yard, we occasionally hear them calling to one another during the day.

Penny - Red Phase Female
Parker - Red Phase Male

He is a little smaller and a little darker than her. The eye bars on the sides of their faces are the biggest difference. Penny's are much broader and lighter than Parker's. He also has darker ear tufts.

In 2009, we mounted a "stand alone" box in the yard, just on the edge of the wooded tree line. This box is approximately 13' high.

Nest Box Dimensions:
Floor 8"x8" / Height 12-15" / Entrance Height 9-12" / Entrance Hole 3"

The squirrels cannot get at this new box like they did (still do) on the tree mounted box. After six days of putting the new "stand alone" box in place, a female (red phase) Screech Owl was in the box roosting. Well...she's been roosting here ever since she found this box in February of 2009 and this year 2010 she has chosen it to have a family here.

In 2007 - We had a red phase female and a gray phase male successfully raise three owlets in our first owl box that is mounted on an old Ash tree. The squirrels since took over that box for themselves. There have been many of squirrels born and raised in that first owl box (the "squirrel box" now). One year.....there were a total of seven squirrel babies born in that box. Till this day.....the squirrels raise families in it.

Screech Owl information:

http://www.songbirdgarden.com/store/info/infoview.asp?documentid=183

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Otus_asio.html

http://www.dansearthpage.com/Site/Welcome.html

Avian Egg Development (this is a pretty cool site):
http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/avianreproduction.html

Egg Identification:
1 3/8" High x 1 1/4" Wide, are pure white in color, usually oval or nearly globular in shape, and moderately glossy

SCREECH OWLS (Dewees Island, South Carolina)

New Box and Site Waiting For Owls ..

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/dewees-island-owl-cam