Little Al the Screech Owl

I've been wanting to blog, especially ever since Gulliver and I were blogged about in BlogTO but with not getting out much, what is there to blog about?  Anyone following me knows about Gulliver as well as the eastern screech owl that has been using one of our backyard owl boxes.  But did I ever release his name given to him by Angie?  She names most of the critters.

Meet Little Al...

Little Al has been staying with us for the most part for 2 months now.  He's been an exciting distraction from all the stresses of the world these days.  We don't always know when he is here, when he is going to pop his head out of the box, and that all makes for a fun mystery.

I've had my trail camera pointed to the box some nights and only once did it capture him going in.  So many times he has eluded capture on the cam as he left the box at dark, or came in just before daylight.  I was beginning to think that there was something wrong with the camera; but it would seem he is just that fast, too fast for the shutter.

The one time I got him on the camera going in.

The cam picking up two distant raccoons.  So yes, it is just that he is too quick.

Still, setting up the cam and hoping to catch him has been entertaining for me.  Especially on the weekends when I am home for 2 full days and I see him rise around 5 PM yet knowing the camera did not get him coming "home".  I'm saying to myself  "you sneaky little owl".

We've had 40+ minute showings of him some evenings and other times it is less than 10 minutes from his first moments at the edge of the box until he flies off for the night to hunt.  Another fun filled bit of wonderment.  Will he show and for how long?  I'm glued to my chair at the kitchen window both Saturday and Sunday evenings, just watching.

Angie had an epic moment watching him last Thursday.  It was before 5 PM when he stuck his head out of the box.  He was already alert and watching the yard around him.  He began focusing on the holly bushes down below.  At first Angie thought he was watching our regular visiting robin who feasts on the holly berries but as the robin left, the owl was still watching the bushes.  According to Angie, in a flash, the owl flew out of the box, diving down to the bushes and in one swoop grabbed a house sparrow and took it back into the box (to eat of course).  Angie could re-tell this sighting better as I was at work and read her excited texts to me with total envy.  She got to witness something that very few people out there have ever seen...  an eastern screech owl make a successful hunt.  As envious I was, I was very happy for her being able to see this.

Here we are a few days later and I guess I have a bit of payback of my own.  I asked Angie to wake me before she went to the office today as I had an early doctor's appointment.  So I was out of bed by 6:30 AM.  I smooched her goodbye and put the kettle on.  I figured while I was waiting for the kettle to boil, that I would step outside and fill the heated bird bath.  

It's pitch black outside but the bath is only 20 or so feet from the deck.  I'm still half asleep and my eyes aren't focused to the darkness outside.  It's quiet out there, no morning rush hour traffic from the main road happening.  Then I heard it...  the trill of an eastern screech owl.  I got goose bumps!  I fucking love that sound.  YES, emphasis is need to express how much I love love LOVE the trill sound from these owls.  I look up and there is Little Al at the box, trilling away, looking out across the yard.  I filled the bird bath and then backed up to the deck steps where I then just sat myself and listened to him call for a couple minutes.

I was cursing having to go get in the shower and be out of the house within an hour to go to the doctor.  I should have reminded myself that this wasn't going to last all morning so to not be so hard on myself about it.  I went inside, grabbed my camera and tried some night shots from the deck.  I should have grabbed my tripod but really didn't have the time.  I think I did pretty good with this picture I got of him in the dark.

I have a few really nice photos of this owl so I am not trying for them much any more; but a couple times recently I have made some attempts at these darkened scenarios as I have many after dark owl encounters every winter because of my work hours.  I got this "new to me" used Canon 7D camera body which I haven't really mastered in these no light settings.  Remember, you do not use flash on an owl.  You wouldn't want a camera flash in your eyes after dark, it's way worse on an owl.  So I use manual settings, tweaking the ISO and adjusting whatever the other settings are called.  This is how bad I am at technology, I don't even know what some of the settings are called that I am adjusting.  So ya, don't ask me for lessons.  HAHAHA!

I got in the shower and by the time I got out at 7:10 AM, he had tucked himself inside for the day.

Anyway, I guess Al is calling in a mate, or trying to.  Anyone have a thought about this?

I should add that we don't really know if he is a male or a female, we just say "he".  Some have really had an issue with this sexing of the owl, and some of my pigeon buddies.  Does it really matter?  I've had people claim the opposite sex just by looking at a photo of one of these birds.  How anyone can sex a pigeon or an owl by a photo is ridiculous in my opinion.  There's no difference in appearance with owls; it's size and weight that can lead to sexing.  And with pigeons, forget about it!  So many colour variations.  For me, it's when I see my buds, um, doing the deed, that I really can sex them.  You know, who is on top (or bottom).  Okay, getting off topic.

Funny thing when I was at the doctor, I told him about my morning.  He got rather interested, stating he's seen an owl and didn't think they were in Toronto.  He asked if I had a photograph on my phone to show him.  Of course I had a photo and of course I showed him.  He thought it was pretty cool and loved how the owl blended in with the bark on the exterior of the box.

  We hope Al sticks around for a long while.  We hope for a mate.  We hope for a nest.  But time will tell.  Please stay tuned to my blog in the coming months for further updates.

Cheers!

Gift From Nature

For the third time in 5 years on the third week of December we have been blessed to have an eastern screech owl visit our backyard and spend time in an owl box.  Only this time around it wasn't just a one day visit as the owl came back for a second day!  Here's a little bit about the weekend with this owl.

On Friday night I had set up my trail cam down back as I am monitoring that opossum house which I recently blogged about.  So come Saturday morning, before coffee, I stumble outside to retrieve the camera in a half awake state.

I'm walking down the yard, taking in the crisp morning air and getting my bearings.  I'm listening to the first birds of the day as it's a count day for project feeder watch.  I'm mere feet from the trail cam when I look up and ahead, and notice there's an owl looking at me from the box down there.  For a moment I froze as our eyes met.  I was very surprised the owl did not flush as I was so close to it.  This box I lazily set up in the fall after I switched it out with the other newer box.  This box is maybe 8 ft from the ground which is quite low for a screech owl to be using.

After I picked my jaw up from the ground, I slowly back stepped away.  Once I was far enough away, I turned around and ran back to the house.  I had to tell Angie about our backyard visitor as well as get my camera.  She had a good look at it from the kitchen window with the binoculars.  I got some decent shots despite how dark it was outside and the snow was starting to come down.  Then I went back inside and we just monitored from the house.  The owl sat at the edge of the box for the next hour before ducking down inside.

We had to leave for the afternoon around 2 PM and wouldn't be back until later in the evening.  I knew we were going to miss seeing the owl leave the box at dark.  After we got home, I set up the trail camera pointed to the box, hoping it might catch the owl returning at some point through the night.  I was a little sad the following morning when I checked the cam pictures and there was no activity.

Sunday was a usual day for us, going for a nature walk before doing things around the house.  We talked about that owl a few times throughout the day.  I mean, how could we not?  We had an owl in the yard!

Late in the afternoon I happened to be looking out the kitchen window and thought something looked different about the other owl box.  I put the binoculars up to it and was over the moon with excitement that the owl did come back and it went to this other box.  This other box is much more suited for a screech owl as there is predator protection beneath the box which is stove pipe wrapped around the tree trunk so no creatures can climb up and disturb or harm the owl.  There are no branches nearby where a squirrel could jump from to get up to the box.  The box is at least 15 ft off the ground.

I called Angie out to the kitchen so she could see.  I then stepped out the front of the house, sneaking up the side so I could take some photos from the back corner of the house.  The owl just sat at the entry hole, all squint eyed and paid little notice to me. 

From there, I went back inside, sat in my chair by the window and was glued to it until darkness set in when I could just make out when the owl took flight and flew to the back of the yard, disappearing in the tall cedars next door.

Monday I went to work.  Angie is off on Christmas break so she kept watch throughout the day to see if the bird appeared at either box.  She didn't see him.

Last night I set up the trail cam and pointed it at the second box which I hoped it would continue to use.  Unfortunately no sign of the bird coming in at any point through the night.

Two days of the owl here is better than one.  We hope for a return from it through the winter months especially if the weather turns cold and snowy.

All the birds and animals that visit us are gifts from nature but there's something about getting an owl.  Such mystical creatures that most people don't get to see. 

If he does come back, you all will read about it here.

Long Time No Owl

 Approximately eight years ago I saw an owl at this tree cavity.  

Someone had reported it to a birding forum and it caused a bit of a shit storm with photographers.  I remember seeing an army of camouflaged men for the most part combing the woods, looking for this tree cavity.  It was early on in my days of birding and using a camera.  It was shocking to see as many were not staying on the paths.  It reminded me of a movie, where there is a search for a child or perhaps a man hunt to see a large group of people walking in a line across the woods like this.  I kind of took offense to what they were doing as this was one of my favourite spots to look for birds since it was so close to home.  A couple days later they were all gone.  I don't think many found the cavity or the owl, at least not when I passed through (I would not make it obvious if I peeked at this particular tree, and would keep walking).  It was nice to have a quiet woodlot once again.

Over the years I eased off on visiting these woods just because of the rampant off leash dogs and steady flow of joggers and cyclists.  Avoiding dog shit all through the trails was another annoyance.  I would still venture into these woods a few times yearly, mostly in the winter, because there was always a good bird or two to spot, and less people.

This week I took a walk in, first time since I think the winter of 2018/19.  Long overdue!  It was kind of drizzly so I knew it wouldn't be as busy.  I passed that tree which I never forgot about and to my joy and surprise there was an owl roosting the morning away at another cavity.  I was happily shocked at my "find".

I smirked about the people who all walked right under this sleeping beauty and did not see it.

There was no point to hang around at the owl now.  I had a great look at it.  I took a few photos.  Now it was time to continue my walk to hopefully find something else I had in my mind to see.  I really wanted to see a Barred Owl; this is my wish bird for this season.  I did not find one on this walk.  Maybe next time?  Perhaps I should think about finding a Screech Owl and maybe it will turn into something else, like a Barred Owl?

I passed this bird on my way back to the parking area.  I went for an artsy shot.

Then one last look before I was gone.  He's turning into the bark now.

Owls are something to see in the wild.  It's unfortunate that sharing the location to the general public always turns into something negative and disturbing for the owl as well as the habitat.  A few of my friends and I always wonder what it is about owls and people here?  When we were in Las Vegas, and out with a bird guide there, we talked about this.  There's nothing like the owl craze here in other regions.

Wish me luck in my continued search for a Barred Owl.  I do know where one is, that seemingly everyone else knows too, but I will hold out hope to find one in not such a popular spot much like this forgotten about tree.