Jamie:

Your notes here and earlier on Tweeters regarding the Barred Owl-W. Screech
Owl interaction have squared with my experience. As one of the main owlers
for the Sequim-Dungeness CBC over the years, I've noted a real decline in W.
Screech-Owl over the last five years, and a year or two ago I actually had a
Barred almost take my head off after I played the Screech tape near
Graysmarsh! I guess my only hope on Screech is that the birds might still be
around, but are remaining silent to avoid being eaten.

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com


>From: Jamie Acker <biowler1 at juno.com>
>Reply-To: biowler1 at juno.com
>To: chris at 123imagine.net
>CC: tweeters at u.washington.edu
>Subject: Re: Screech Owl nestbox in Hemlock
>Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 17:42:34 -0800
>
>Chris,
>I have a pair of WESTERN SCREECH-OWLs (WESO) that have nested behind my
>house for the past two years. I expect them to be on eggs in about two
>weeks. They have been calling nightly now for the past two weeks. I
>sleep with the window open so I can enjoy them.
>
>I have four boxes up. They have yet to use the same box twice.
>
>I also have BARRED OWLs (BDOW) in the neighborhood. The female is radio
>tagged and is on eggs about a quarter mile from here. She shows up on
>occassion in my backyard (where she has been caught twice). Last summer
>one morning I was awakened by the "chuck" calls of agitated WESO who had
>recently fledged young in the area. I went out, and heard a single
>"WHOOO" call from an irate BDOW. That evening, I was missing one of the
>youngsters.
>
>WESO are a difficult bird to find on the Island now. I know of two pairs
>only, whereas several years ago, they were relatively easily found. The
>BDOW population has gone up to 8 pairs.
>
>I have been feeding the WESO behind my house for the past three years on
>feeder mice. Expensive, but I enjoy their presence.
>
>What attracted them here initially was the nest boxes, I think. I didn't
>start feeding them until the young were hatched. I have a small (8 acre)
>woodlot behind me. Not large enough to support a large owl, but large
>enough to be attractive to a small owl. Five years ago I had a Northern
>Saw-whet Owl (NSWO) nest in an old Northern Flicker cavity.
>The NSWO also had boxes to choose from,including one 15 feet lower on the
>same tree that it nested in.
>
>Good Luck!
>Jamie Acker
>Bainbridge Island,WA
>Biowler1 at juno.com
>
>
>________________________________________________________________
>GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
>Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
>Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit:
>http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.


_________________________________________________________________
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com