We have screech owls who nest in the woods beside the house in our nesting box or in a tree and we treat them like "they aren't there"... LOL as if we didn't spend LOTS of time watching them, esp when the babes fledge. But for the most part, I find whether it's owls, wrens, or something in between, just go about your normal routines and they will adapt accordingly (moving further away from the yard if that's their choice). I'd keep the cat inside "just in case" but don't think the kids will have any problems. Nice pic and aren't you lucky. We feel blessed when the larger owls come into the yard.

Hello, I'm not sure what kind? I'm trying to get a good look at them without being struck again :0) Lol! I don't think they are super large it happens so fast the wingspan seems about 12-15 inches. They seem to be going between my neighbors pine and mine-so maybe I'll be able to get a picture? Thank you-I'll keep you posted. It's fascinating! ~Cat

Texas_Annie: When I lived in Southern California, half of my time gardening was spent dealing with gophers. People in the East have no idea what these little buggers can do! Once, a neighbor and I were growing giant pumpkins for a contest, and as they grew larger and larger, we would try and lift them off the ground a bit, to guess their weight. Ours were each about 150 pounds, or so, until one day when he lifted his pumpkin, it came right up off the ground. Gophers had tunneled in from beneath it, and eaten all its insides out--nothing but a shell remained. This, after 3 months of special care given the pumpkin. I'm sure he would have liked to wring the little critter's neck. They do make traps for gophers that are pretty effective. You open their run (when you see soil piled up) and put the trap in the run, then put a board over it. Lifting the board and checking it periodically should yield a squashed little plant-eater. If you continue doing this for the rest of your life, you'll probably keep the gophers under control.

Once in a while we hear an owl. As I understand it, they need quite a large hunting territory to survive. Maybe that's why Marilyn's owls have only one offspring. Monday our entire yard was filled with birds -- some of them robins, but also what I think were grackles. (They were dark and bigger than starlings, but there were hordes of them.) I think they may all have come north to get away from the unseasonable storms to the south. There's really not much to eat up here yet. We do have robins year-round, many in the creekbed that's about 20 feet below the bridge and street. (I'm 30 miles north of Chicago.)