In 2008, we put up a Screech Owl nest box in our back yard. Last summer we were thrilled to realize that a pair of Western Screech Owls had indeed nested in our yard, but not in the box. They used the box, just not for eggs and young. This blog follows their life in our yard, and, sometimes, in their box. We named the female, Olive and her mate, Oliver. I hope you will enjoy reading the ongoing story of this charming family.

Monday, November 1, 2010

March 29, 2010

         OK, folks, we did it, and now we have even more questions.  While Ivan was watching tonight, Olive left the box at approximately 7:10PM.  He came in and alerted me and we rushed down to the ladder which I had quietly and earlier placed against the tree to the side of the box.  He held the ladder while I climbed up and, with my pliers, I turned the "latch" that held the side closed.  This is what I saw:

         (I realize the time stamp says 6:16PM, but I haven't changed it to DST yet - sorry.)  This is a summary of the situation:
1) Look at all that stuff in the box!!!  It was at least three inches deep!  In the left of the photo you can see the bottom of the round opening where Olive situates herself each evening - and sometimes in broad daylight.  I can see that she has been busy pruning my trees.  I was under the impression, stated in at least two sources (one being Cornell!), that Western Screech Owls don't bring any nesting material into their nest site.  Is this wrong?
2)  It's the end of March and there are no eggs.  Neither was there any evidence that there ever were any eggs.
         So now we're left with a multitude of questions, such as is she ready to lay eggs?  Did her mating with Oliver fail?  Are we in the southern or northern boundary of their nesting timing?  What is really going on here?  I'm disappointed - and mystified.  I'm also interested to know what this all means. 
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