I have an owl box up. So far, flickers roost in it during the coldest days of winter. I have had owls in my yard, but they show no interest in the nestbox. If owls take a few small birds, it's just nature's way. A cooper's hawk took a wren he had trapped in my back patio right out from between my legs. I kid you not!! That little wren ran to me for protection, got right between my feet, and that cooper's hawk went right between my feet and got him. I have more trouble with hawks because they hunt by day. Owls are nocturnal. take care, Michele

Animals can be so strange....you may put all your time and effort into building just the right box, selecting a 'perfect' site, and then....nothing. Or the opposite may happen, and it will seem as if they were sitting around WAITING for you to get their new home up and going for them. I think it's different for everybody, but you will have to be PATIENT. Years ago we got a booklet from the DNR that had blueprints and general info for houses that were specific for each species. We looked it over and chose to make wood duck boxes, thinking they would have a place to nest by our pond. What we learned, in fact, was that many species simply don't care if a box is not "designed" for them...if they can get their bodies through the hole, there's nobody already at home (depending on the animal this may not matter either) and the place seems safe enough, it's a done deal. Not only will screech owls use a duck box as a day haven, they will indeed nest and rear young in them. There is a slough I frequent that has three duck boxes on it, and during one spring I discovered one particular box was home to a nest of screechies. I think the slough was dry that year, but usually this box is surrounded by about 2 1/2 feet of water...a rough first flight for any chick. I can't recall how many chicks were in that nest...I will have to try to dig out the animal album and find the photos. But they will use a duck box. When we first hung out duck boxes here at our place, I was getting frustrated waiting. It was something like three years before we finally found a nest, and then all three boxes had action!! It's worth the wait, so hang in there. But I'm still waiting for bats to use their house....I don't think they need any extra places with all the shagbark hickories. But the winner in my Crazy Nester category goes to the bluebirds at my dad's place. For the past three years, there has been a pair of bluebirds nesting in his martin house. Not a thing to be seen of any martins, but these blues are shoulder to shoulder with house sparrows and to this day I don't yet understand how they are pulling this off.

I know this may seem a little bit off topic, but for anyone out there who has younger children in their lives, one of the best children's books out there, for both story and illustrations, is "Owl Moon" by Jane Yolen. I read this to my daughter for years and have given it as gifts. I also recommended it to countless people when I worked for Barnes and Noble. If you want nature, and especially wild birds, to hold fascination for your child, this is a great start. Walking out in the evening to see a special bird where he lives and being awe-struck by that bird sends a powerful message. It is a wonderful way to inspire some interest in nature and in owls, or birds, in particular. I hope some of you (who haven't already) get to enjoy it!

Today was the day for 2 baby owlettes to leave the tree nest in my backyard. This is the same tree that has been used by the owls in the years before but what I found to be remarkable was that the owlettes left on 5/9 of last year and that's today's date of this batch of babies leaving as well! Amazing!! This year's story..... I only thought there was one owlette in the nest because I had only seen one little head peeking at me from time to time. When I got home from the grocery earlier today my neighbor ran to my door to tell me that a baby owlette was in their back yard and had been sitting there for quite awhile. They didn't know what to do and quite frankly I was hoping for all that I was worth that it wasn't the owl from my backyard because it was going the wrong way!!! I have acres of woodland behind my house and this little fella was going toward more houses. Wrong way! When I got to the neighbor's house I quickly realized that it was indeed the little owlette from my backyard. I looked for quite awhile but didn't see the parents and they surely would have shown themselves had they known where this little guy was with us being so near him. We decided to move him back towards the nesting tree at the forest edge because I felt it would definitely be a safer place. I got a cardboard box and was able to easily scoop him into it (I got to touch him and he was wonderful!). I got him into my backyard and placed him on the ground. He hopped only a couple of inches away but turned back towards me and just sat. I sat with him for a few minutes and I made some of my mama owl sounds (yeah, right... lol) but for whatever reason he actually was making sounds back with me. Truly wonderful. Still no sight of mom or dad yet. I'm worried. I left him and went to sit on my deck. He came towards my house instead of going towards the woods. He climbed a tree near my deck but fell when he was about 10 feet up. Then he hopped across the yard back towards the woods. Yaaaay! Then I finally saw Dad!!! He came and sat in the tree next to the deck and I'm pretty sure he was gonna make sure I didn't go near the little one again. Later in the day the little one finally climbed a tree and stayed. Mom & Dad were near. Still later in the day I was watching them all and saw movement near the other little one. YES!!!!.... it was a second owlette climbing the nearby tree!!! There were two of them! Yaaay! They both climbed.... and they both fell out of their trees. As it was getting dark I couldn't watch them any longer but I knew they were together as was Mom & Dad. And now.... here's pics of this year's (2008) baby owlettes! What a wonderful day!!! Judy