We live near a lagoon with a lot of birds, many migrating, also see hawks - think it's red shoulder, that sometimes land on telephone poles, but have never seen any owls. We live near the beach. A few years ago, I worked at an in-land hospital on the 3rd floor. It had recessed windows on the upper floors. A pair of barn owls raised 2 fledglings on the window sill. It was amazing that the little tykes didn't fall off the ledge, especially since the parents were gone frequently hunting for food. I was surprised to see them in such an environment - in the middle of a bustling city - and especially the place they chose to lay their clutch. Still trying to decide the best approach to keeping the damage down from the mole/vole diggers. I want to create a water-conserving front yard anyway, so the lawn isn't being watered - so perhaps that in itself may be a deterrant, however, in the back yard, my main concern is for my newly planted dwarf apple trees - they are doing so great, would hate to lose them now. Thanks for your thoughts. Bejay

Never mind! I copied and pasted FAQ's in case someone else thinks the same thing I did----it's infrared light and doesn't bother her. Guess I can go to sleep now. Listen, I know I fly off the handle--nothing new----it's just that I CARE---with all my heart, I CARE. Ask Little White-Foot Mouse who lives in the woodpile on the deck, just outside the window. Right now she's getting up dropped seed from the feeder---she knows I see her, but she goes on with her work. I respect her work ethic. ************************* What kind of cameras and lighting are used? The cameras are Logitech Orbit AF (daytime) and Agama V-1325 R (infrared, nighttime). There are 4 infrared (IR) LEDs on the camera that are invisible to owls and humans, but allow the camera to pick up an image we can see at night. There is also ambient light from the neighborhood that comes into the box at night. Is this camera hardwired, battery operated, or solar powered? ItÂs hardwired. Can the night cam zoom in? No, only the daytime camera has zoom and is height-adjustable. The infrared camera is positioned lower and gives a different view of the nest. Does the light at night annoy Molly? There is some ambient light from the neighborhood, but there are no extra lights used at night. Molly doesnÂt seem to mind. Are the cameras actually inside the box? No, they are attached to the exterior of the house with a protective cover.

I don't know how deep the nest actually is because I can't get up into that tree. From what I've been able to see, however, it appears that they are really exposed to the weather more than I ever expected them to like for nesting. There was once a very large limb that broke from this tree and eventually it developed into this large cavity. You can still see some of the limb at the top of the nest site. That area of the tree has really deteriorated over the last few years and I worry that it will soon be too open for the owls to continue to nest there. The tree is slowly dying and is losing limbs every year. Many sections of the tree have holes in it made by Pileated Woodpeckers. Squirrels and birds fly into one hole and out another hole in another section of the tree. Definitely hollow spaces in there. I've been contemplating making a nest box and mounting up that tree in that nest area for next year. I'm just not sure what to do. I've watched them nest there every year since 2003 and I would truly miss them. I want to offer a nest box but at the same time I don't want to spook them away from the site they have used for so long. Here is an image from 2003 when the young were leaving the nest and the tree is full of foliage.

I have an owl box that has been invaded by bees. The beekeeper I called said that owls will not use it again, even if I clean it as the smell will always be there.... Very discouraging because I have had owls in it for about 4 years......-:(