Subject: More "yard-owl" notes
Date: Feb 23 19:58:41 2004
From: The Dumroese Family - dumroese at iGlide.net
Kelly,
Here on the Palouse, I've successfully lured Great Horneds into an
artificial nest. They have been repeat nesters now for about 5 years. I
bought a thick-rubbered-animal-feeding bowl from the local D&B Farm Supply.
It's about 2 feet in diameter, about 8 inches deep, and a good 1/2 inch
thick. I drilled some holes in the bottom for drainage, threw in some
branches, and mounted it in the crotch of a ponderosa pine about 15 feet off
the ground, but visible from the front window. The first two years were
unsuccessful, but results have been much better since then. I haven't done
any maintenance. The female? has been sitting on it for about the last 2
weeks, so it looks like we'll have gray fuzz balls again this year.
Kas Dumroese
Moscow, ID
----- Original Message -----
From: Kelly Cassidy
To: Tweeters ; inland birders
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 3:37 PM
Subject: [inland-NW-birders]More "yard-owl" notes
My resident Great Horned Owls are not as outgoing as Harry, the Yakima owl.
Mine are a pair that hang out in a spruce tree near the house. They've had
hooting duets since about November. Hooting frequency has intensified the
past few days. They've been hooting at midday on sunny days. Hormone
overdrive, I suppose. Three days ago, I heard a pair of Barn Owls
screeching, one flying and one perched. It gives me hope that the Barn Owls
will accept my nest box as a substitute for the barn we tore down last
summer, but they face a lot of competition for the vole supply from the
Great Horned Owls.
Last week, I scanned through a 1973 WSU thesis by Joseph Foster on Great
Horned Owls breeding on the Palouse. According to Foster, GH Owls depend
heavily on Red-tailed Harks for nests. GH Owls do not build their own nest
nor do they do any upkeep on the nests they take over. Foster says
Red-tailed Hawk nests used by GH Owls are usually in such a state of
disrepair the nests are unusable after a year or two. No Red-tailed Hawk or
Raven (whose nests GH Owls also use) has nested in my yard since I've been
here (2 years), so it is a mystery to me where the owls intend to lay eggs.
A pair of Red-tail Hawks have nested for two years about 1/2 mile away.
Maybe the owls intend to take over their nest. According to Foster, the
owls don't care if the nest builder still wants to use the nest. The GH
Owls move in and take over. Palouse GH Owls usually lay eggs from about the
second week of March to mid-April.
The Magpies are distraught over the owl presence, but, compared to crows,
Magpies seem to be ineffectual owl-harassers. The Magpies nested in a row
of shrubs about 200 feet from the owls' favorite perch tree last year and
have indicated an interest in nesting there again. According to Foster,
owls eat mostly rodents and a few rabbits, but among the birds they ate,
Magpies seemed to be disproportionately represented. The Magpies are
justified in being upset. Perhaps the Magpies will nest somewhere else?
The Robins would be relieved if they did. Blue Robin eggs decorated the
yard last year, apparently courtesy of the Magpies.
Other signs of spring:
Robins passing through in hordes, but not singing yet except for weak
semi-songs.
Song Sparrows singing
House Sparrows chirping like mad all day, also trying to find suitable
nesting locations to replace their beloved old barn
House Finches reappearing from their feeder hangouts in town.
Gray Partridges clucking more frequently
A Northern Shrike I've seen several times this week, singing away.
(Actually, almost every time I've seen a N. Shrike this winter, it's been
singing. What's with that?)
Killdeer and RW Blackbirds reappeared 3 days ago.
Kelly Cassidy
Pullman WA