Teacher Has a Visitor to her Yard!

An Eastern Screech-Owl in the nest box, which is located in 
my backyard.  SInce it is right outside my kitchen window, it 
has made cooking and washing the dishes 
a bit more interesting.

You can tell by its feathering that it could be very camouflaged, 
when sitting in a tree.  I showed one of the first grade girls the 
photo and she said, "The white on it would help it blend in with the 
snow on the bark of the tree."  Wow!  That was very insightful!

I have had a large nest box up in my yard for over a year and this is the first time I'd seen an owl in it.  In our area the two most common owls are the Great Horned Owl, which many folks call the hoot owl due to its hooting sound.  That owl is quite large and is a fierce nighttime predator.  

The other owl commonly seen in the area is an Eastern Screech-Owl.  It is a very small owl that is only 6"-9" from head to tail.  It preys on small mammals, birds and invertebrates.  This owl does not hoot, but sounds more like a horse whinnying or it will make a trilling sound.  You can hear its various calls and trills on the "All About Birds" website by clicking here.  To read more about this fascinating night time creature click here.