I heard some very good news on the Barn Owl front recently. Hawkwatch International reports that a pair of Barn Owls has taken up residence in one of the kestrel nest boxes that HI keeps an eye on and they have laid 5 eggs! This particular box has an entrance hole slightly larger than is typical for a kestrel box and that was just enough to accommodate the owls.
I scoped out this box from a safe distance with my lens recently but couldn’t see the owls inside because the light was so contrasty. But I’m sure they were there and I’m delighted.
1/2000, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in
That news was the inspiration for this post – a photo of a Barn Owl in flight that I took in the general vicinity of that same nest box a few years ago. Since many of these owls didn’t survive our recent devastatingly harsh winter I couldn’t be happier to hear that these birds are well on their way to raising a family.
Ron
Note: I may have been mistaken in referring to this nest box as a “kestrel box”. See my reply to Louise Shimmel’s comment below.
That’s fantastic news, Ron! We’ll keep our fingers crossed for their success and hope the population will remain robust.
We can’t get enough of your owl images! (Or any of the others, either!)
Thank you again for sharing!
Better than good news. I hope they raise their family successfully, and that a milder season or two keeps the population safe.
Elephant’s Child, Mike’s comment below reassures me that at least there’s a significant number of nesting pairs this spring. Hopefully they’ll rebound.
I think I’m familiar with that box you mentioned and it is indeed larger than a typical kestrel box, although smaller than traditional barn owl boxes. We debated whether or not it’s the best choice for them given other nesting options in the area, but apparently they saw something in it that escaped us humans. No one I’ve talked to is sure how long it’s been up or how often it’s been used. Most likely it’s a box that found it’s way on to a tree in someone’s pursuit of a merit badge and was promptly forgotten. Who knows, maybe that beautiful bird you clicked came from it. We’ll keep an eye on it this year and in the future- if for no other reason than it’s interesting to see at least one box at Farmington Bay without starlings in it! After the harsh winter barn owls are missing from some traditionally active locations around the valley, but nesting pairs don’t seem to be all that rare. Several months ago I came across an incubating pair sharing a small hay shed with a family of great horned owls. The two nests were only about 30 feet apart and the male GHOW was dozing next to the BANO box! Uneasy company…
Mike – I’ve often wondered about that box. And I appreciate your insight into the Barn Owl situation in the valley – if anyone would know, it would be you. Thank you very much!
This photo takes my breath away. Here’s hoping for a very successful clutch. I am happy that they are back.
Thanks, Debbie. I too wish the owls the best of luck with their future family.
Wow! That’s an awfully small nest for birds the size of barn owls … at least if it’s the typical kestrel dimensions. I’m wondering how he female is even able to lay down and incubate those eggs … I certainly wish then the best but it would be great if Hawkwatch could have a barn owl-sized box ready … we’ve successfully moved eggs but it’s much easier to guarantee the parents come back if you can wait until they hatch. We get barn owls out of too small spaces fairly often, and they often have problems such as urine/fecal scalds/sores on their hocks from not being able to get away from their own droppings … a lot depends on how much old casting material, prey remains, etc., are in the box from previous nests to absorb the droppings. But please encourage HI to monitor the nest closely and, if they have kestrel nest boxes up, maybe they’d be willing to put up some barn owl boxes, too!
Louise, I may have erred in calling it a kestrel box. It’s actually larger than that, and it’s quite old – possibly put up by someone who didn’t know the proper dimensions for a kestrel box if that was their intent. It’s been there for years and isn’t one of the boxes put up by HI. In my judgment there’s enough room for the Barn Owls.
Good news and an excellent shot Ron! Well done, beautiful flying image of a wonderful owl.
Thanks Dick – I’m glad you like the image.
Such wonderful news, Ron. Thank you.
Yes, good news it is, Sharon.