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.

Before I'd go to the landlord, I'd try a few things myself, if only to prove to the landlord that I'd exhausted all resources before going to the "authorities." Also, since he seems like a nice guy and he acted promptly on the stereo noise when you mentioned it, he is probably going to feel blindsided if you go to the landlord about the TV before mentioning it to him. *You* can see the connection between the noise from the stereo and the TV, but he does not. From his point of view, you complained about the stereo, he fixed the problem, you haven't mentioned noise again, so all is good. If you are on a friendly basis with him, chances are he won't react badly. First, can you move your bed so that it is not on the connecting wall? That might reduce some of the noise. Then, try out a white noise machine. This would help if what you are hearing is just the general noise of TV sound, probably not so much if you can clearly understand every word of dialogue. Then, if the noise still bothers you, approach your neighbor. Explain that you've tried everything you can think of to mask the noise, but it is still a problem. You didn't want to bother him with yet another noise issue, but you do need your sleep and the TV noise is becoming a problem. Ask if he might be willing to move the TV (if it is on the connecting wall) or consider getting headphones. Be polite and understanding--you are aware of how easily noise travels in the building; he is new here and does not. If your lease lists quiet hours, mention those--not everyone remembers every single clause in their lease. Give him a week or so to solve the problem. *Then* you can approach the landlord, with documentation of the efforts you have made to fix the situation.

I'm an hour north of NYC, on the edge of a large tract of open space with coyotes, foxes and a bear. No bobcats yet! The property is fenced for deer which has probably kept the big predators away. I've had the chickens for a year and a half now without incident, but I'm sure that's usually the case. And this owl is so darn close..

Its a duck, a green wing teal I believe. Birds have a number of predators, small and medium mammals, other birds, reptiles. Could be a hawk or owl, or a cat or fox or raccoon. Squirrels even will raid nests I believe.