Screech Owl and the Woodducks

[Jeff]

The nesting box is on the edge of the pond with the hole facing dry land so hopefully they will be ok.

[RynSmith]

Wow, they're huge!    

[SwampDonkey]

I wonder how many families they have a year. With the way they are growing, mom will have time to raise another brood long before fall.  I guess it'll take some time to learn to hunt as well. Any wood ducks? ;D

[Jeff]

I was wondering the same thing. The robins living in the wreath out the back door are going to be ready to leave the nest in a couple weeks I am sure. It don't take long. I can tell you one thing, baby owls are a whole lot cuter then baby robins.

[SwampDonkey]

Yeah. I have a tower antenna behind the house and it has a honeysuckle growing up it. The robins have a nest there every year. There is one sitting there now. My last load of firewood  is stacked up beside a picture window and the tower and she frequents the wood pile for a perch and vantage point and the ground below for worms. Every time I see a shadow reflect of the computer screen that his her hopping around the top of the wood pile. Sometimes a chipmunk or squirrel sits up there as well.

Here, Tippy Tippy. ;D

[Ed]

This is Ed's mother posting a comment.
I am a retired teacher, and some years ago my students and I created a nature trail about 3/4 of a mile from school on property owned by a friend of mine. When we would go to check things out, a screech owl would be peeking out of the wood duck box. One spring when one of my "fathers" cleaned it out for us, he had to move the owl. He picked out many owl pellets, and we picked some up off the ground. Guess you know that we took them to school and cut them open. They were smaller, of course, than the ones schools typically buy for students (great horned owl), but they were from "our" owl. That trail provided us with many learning experiences. I have a great photo of the owl in the box, but not with any young ones. We then built an owl box, with exact specifications, but it was promptly taken over by a mama squirrel and her babies.

Sally

[Paul_H]

Thanks for the story,Sally.Welcome to the forum

[Jeff]

New photos. 

[CHARLIE]

They look wise..........and older

[baronthered]

I could be the odd guy and say hey nice hoo..... but I won't I always liked owls for some reason. We had a couple of nice bird nest here but a dang copperhead ate them mom and all. I did kill the copperhead, it was on my porch when I got done mowing...

[Norm]

I really enjoy watching this thread, thanks Jeff.

[Sprucegum]

Yep, that's a serious owl  8)

I am amazed at his ability to handle them. Is it a rare talent he has or is this a unique situation?

[SwampDonkey]

Those little guys sure been growing fast. They seem so docile. Ouch my finger is hurting from them talons. :D

[Modat22]

I wouldn't mind having a group of those around my garden.

[Jeff]

News From Rodney!

The owls have flown the coop. The other wood duck box has....you guessed it.....a wood duck hen sitting on about 14 eggs.

[cheyenne]

Thank you for a wonderful thread..........Cheyenne

[Brad_bb]

So he opens the door on these boxes to take pics and pick up the owls, and the mothers don't freak out and fly away??

[Magicman]

I've hatched many ducks in my incubator, but one thing for sure.....you can not raise Wood Ducks.  They come here wild, won't eat, and will escape through a pinhole.  Mallards huddle together for safety.  Wood ducks scatter like crazy.

I enjoyed reading about the owls.