It seems ever year around this time through Christmas there are reports of owls in the home. Sometimes it is small owls that were roosting in a Christmas tree, other times it is an owl coming down an un-capped chimney. Last year I thought the Barred Owl Christmas Tree topper was worth posting. This year although a bit earlier in mid November a Screech Owl ended up roosting on a shower curtain rod in a Massachusetts home!
Spreading the Resistance: VA
Just a quick update, from a box put up in Virginia, a little less than a year ago. I love sharing these updates!
from the owner:
“Success in one of the boxes!!!“
2025 Nesting Summary and Consolation Prizes
This was a down year with only 6+ screech owlets fledging from the trail. There was also a failed nesting attempt with 3 owlets, (warning very sad) last owlet remaining after the first 2 died, seemingly healthy was actually eaten by a screech owl in the box!–captured on video— Tough to say whether it was a starving parent or an competing owl that consumed the owlet, needless to say it was a rough season at that site.
I will also mention that the trail is not large enough to infer any larger scale population fluctuations. But there seems to be quite a bit of correlative larger owl presence when formally consistent sites have gone quiet.
I did get some confirmation of some ‘consolation’ occupants both of which where first that have been reported to me, for boxes I have made, but not part of my trail. After the Screech owl site report there is the consolation report with a great, in box, wood duckling video and some pictures.
Screech Owls
Total: Owlets 6+
Total Screech Owlets Fledged Since 2010: 171+
SCREECH OWLS by Sites
Site 1, none, Still have flying squirrels . Plus Barred owls frequently heard through out the year
Site 2, 2025: 2 Red Morphs early season, replaced by 2 Gray Morphs during nesting season:
3 owlets fledged 6/7-8/25 (Photos courtesy of owner)
Site 3, Male and Female Gray. 3+ owlets fledged ~5/18-20/25
Site 4 none, presumed GHOW nearby nest screech pair moved away or preyed upon
Site 5, No Nesting this year
Site 6, no, larger owls (both Great Horned and Barred have been heard) around
Site 7, ? presumed no nesting.
Site 8, No Screech owls this years, Barred Owls heard.
Site 9, Male and Female Gray: Failed nesting attempt.
3 owlets died, including one being consumed by Screech Owl in box.
——Consolation Occupants reports:——-
2 Wood Duck nesting,
1rst nesting in NJ, an awesome youtube video from Jim Wright (Co-Authored Screech Owl Companion with me)
2nd nesting in MA.(photos courtesy of owner)
1 Great-Crested Flycatcher attempted nest, seemed to have been raided.(Photo courtesy Jim Wright)
Vicious Squirrel-Screech fight in box- Screech with Broken Wing
This video (from Feb 2024) actually made a local news station in Texas, (posted fair use) being Texas it appears to be a Fox Squirrel, which are a bit larger than Gray Squirrels (which tend to out weigh screech owls ~3:1) but in general seem to be slightly less aggressive/persistent than Gray, but obviously this one was quite aggressive. It seems this could have been a won the battle-lost the war type scenario for the screech without the wildlife rehabilitation intervention.
Screech Owls: The Best Rodent Control!
If anyone need some visual documentation of just how effective Raptors in general and screech owl specifically are as rodent control. I present, with permission, an amazing video from Megascops Manors youtube channel. In the video a screech owl returns to the owl box with 6 rats in one night. Now this might not be an every night occurrence but over their lifetimes raptors catch more rodents than poisons would be able to kill especially when considering the negative collateral damage these poisons do when raptors are killed by secondary poisoning and removed from the rodent control equation. Thanks again to Megascops Manors as its not the first video I have shared from the channel. (the second video on squirrels) https://owloasis.wordpress.com/2021/03/10/squirrel-owl-interactions-3-videos/.
Spreading the Resistance: Highlighting Quick Occupancy
Though certainly not the norm, it is really fun to highlight when boxes get occupied very quickly, this one I installed March 1, and on March 9 I got this note!
“i thought i saw something in the box yesterday, today i got a reasonable photo. Looks like someone found a home! “
(Photo courtesy of Owner)
Winter Owls: Owling Challenge Update
Just a bit of a photo collage of some owls sighted over the winter. Not all are qualified for points in the owling challenge but they are fun to see none the less. As it is, I was able to get 2 points, so the score is 3 points wife to 2 points me.
Barred owl seen on a joint walk… 1 point me.
Silhouette Great Horned Owl at dusk, Seen solo no points
Gray Morph Eastern Screech Owl, previously discovered hollow, no points
Red Morph Eastern Screech Owl, previously known hollow, no points
Short Eared Owl, distant but seen from the road side with daughter, 1 point me. (looking up a gathering murder of crows that chased it away)
Retrofitting Normal Boxes, Part 2. Out Persisting Squirrels
Quite a while ago(2012), I linked to some pole/post ideas https://owloasis.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/retrofitting-normal-owl-boxes-to-keep-squirrels-out/ to help keep squirrels out of normal owl boxes,I found some great videos addressing squirrels with a box on a tree, so here is a long-overdue follow up.
With Permission from Owner of youtube “Fumbling with Flowers”, posted 2 fascinating and humorous videos chronicling the thwarting of the dreaded squirrel invasion, Her dedication is impressive, as is her instructions and narration in the videos. The first video is more about squirrel prevention efforts and the second has some additional squirrel flashing updating but has more on screech owl observation and behavior including an inbox cam. I hope you enjoy!
PS: Fumbling with Flowers has a few more screech owl/squirrel videos not posted here and if interested other gardening helpful tips that are worth checking out.
Rodenticides and Screech Owls
Site update with a new Rodenticide menu page as a place to help keep the momentum going to gather information, alternatives rodent control solutions, news and to educate as to the dangers rodenticides which poison all the way up the food web and are especially to raptors. Perhaps this type of education is overdue for my site. But a local incident is gaining some larger attention https://www.thedodo.com/daily-dodo/owl-on-deaths-door-waits-outside-post-office-hoping-someone-will-notice.
as some may know we have worked with Cape Ann Wildlife to integrate orphaned screech owlets to foster owl families, they do tremendous work on the intensive care needed to nurse poisoned owls back to health.
Owling Challenge is Back
After a few years hiatus the Owling Challenge has returned, as a refresher the Owling Challenge is a fierce family competition to see who can spot an owl first either on walks or in day to day activities. There is a rigid and complex set of rules governing the challenge such as a disturbed/flushed owl is worth no points and previously discovered/spotted/known owls do not count either. My wife is off to a tremendous start to year, she is up 3 to 0 as she has seen a road side Barred Owl in early December, and was the first to spot 2 Snowy Owls on a recent beach walk. I need a take a timeout out and re-focus to up my game!
Photo from car with cell phone!
2 snowy’s on recent beach walk,
Owl Oasis Trail 
