Hootie Returns

[doctinker]

After a long absence, our eastern screech owl has returned. He sits there in the late afternoon, overlooking our woodland pond and watches us tend to our ducks and chickens. We call him Hootie.

 

[RobS]

Nice! We have a Great Horned Owl that will occasionally perch on top of our house and call through the night. Amazing how loud they are when that close to my sleeping ears...

 

[murphy1244]

That is sooo cool. I have yet to see a owl here. Did you make his house? details please.

 

[doctinker]

His house is a wood duck house I made several years ago. I made three of these houses and put them in trees in my woods/swamp. A few years ago there were two screech owls in separate houses. Last year, neither one of the owls returned and I was disappointed. I'm really thrilled that one has returned.

 

[murphy1244]

His house is a wood duck house I made several years ago. I made three of these houses and put them in trees in my woods/swamp. A few years ago there were two screech owls in separate houses. Last year, neither one of the owls returned and I was disappointed. I'm really thrilled that one has returned.

Do you put them around the pond or swamp. I have both.

 

[doctinker]

Two are near the pond and one is in the swamp. They have used both placements. The ones by the the pond are easiest to view from my family room, so I can see him from my lazy boy.

 

[doctinker]

There is some competition with the wood ducks. The ducks only use the boxes in the spring, for a short time. They seem to just dump eggs and leave. We did have a wood duck egg randomly hatch though. The duckling jumped out and walked into the fenced back yard. One of our weiner dogs got to it before we could catch it.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Cool. Heard a barred owl the other day.

 

[oldballs]

Big owl(s) hang around my place....probably the Great Horned Owl. He (?) does most of his(?) hooting at night. During the day he sits in various trees quite silently, but flies away for a distance whenever I go outside. Seems that he is shy. The Crows gang up on him occasionally.

 

[doctinker]

I'm not sure a screech owl is big enough to take on a cat. We have three in/outside cats though. None have disappeared. There are plenty of mice around here, as well as other small animals.

 

[Alien]

My wife has taken to handfeeding some Kookaburras. One in particular is ultra friendly and she can pat him while he eats out of her hand. She just needs to go outside and call them and they answer and all come flying up to see if she has anything for them. These are wild birds but she has the touch with animals and birds. She loves them all.

 

[doctinker]

My wife has taken to handfeeding some Kookaburras. One in particular is ultra friendly and she can pat him while he eats out of her hand. She just needs to go outside and call them and they answer and all come flying up to see if she has anything for them. These are wild birds but she has the touch with animals and birds. She loves them all.

I enjoy the heck out of that! Nature is so much fun!

 

[Redneck in training]

My wife has taken to handfeeding some Kookaburras. One in particular is ultra friendly and she can pat him while he eats out of her hand. She just needs to go outside and call them and they answer and all come flying up to see if she has anything for them. These are wild birds but she has the touch with animals and birds. She loves them all.

Would you take a video when she calls them?

 

[Redneck in training]

We planted several thousand trees on our property. Rabbits did a lot of damage to young trees each winter. Then I placed strategically placed owl perches in few places and the problem went away. I don't have pictures of owl on a perch but have one sitting on our deer feeder because it also attracts rabbits.

 

[Alien]

Would you take a video when she calls them?

She has been at me for a while to take a video so I guess you have just put MORE pressure on me to do so....

 

[kcflhrc]

Saw a Barred Owl this morning, they sure are awesome.

 

[davesl708]

Several of my neighbors put up owl nest boxes. We enjoy the benefits of hearing and the rodent control they provide. We have screech and great horned owls.

 

[JRobyn]

Great horned are AWESOME! And can be really scary when they buzz your vehicle with that 6 ft wingspan while you're going down the road at dusk!

 

[Redneck in training]

Yes Big horned owl is a pretty big silent airplane. One used to roost in our implement shed. It was awesome sight when it flew out when approached. When our lab was a puppy we had to guard it when let out of house to pee after sunset. The owl would take it.