Mondays with Martha

[@coldspring624]

Hands down the most rewarding nest box I have ever placed out. For over a year I would check mine with field glasses once in awhile from the kitchen table. Then one evening someone was looking back at me. Once in a great while I would walk around and walk past the box walking backward so I could see the owls as I walked slowly but never stopping. Some of the looks and reactions were priceless.

[@angelinatesta3918]

I have the same box I see branch material in it it’s July now I don’t want to disturb it just in case

[@ellaboobella8770]

I've heard them a couple of times lately, and I want to put up a box for them. We have a TON of raccoons, so I'm assuming this will be a situation where we need to use a pole. The thing I'm confused about is that many people say you MUST have the box on a telescoping pole to check the box, but if the box were to be tree-mounted you can't check it. So... so I need to have a telescoping pole for this box? Also, I do have bluebird next boxes with only one pair at a time nesting each year, so am I asking for trouble with this, or is the screech owl going to be more interested in lizards etc. more than birds? I do know they eat birds, but... I would love your take on what I'm considering. Thanks for all the wonderful videos.

[@natureniche1822]

You're very welcome! We tree-mounted our box and monitor (only if we think there is a problem) and clean out using a ladder. I don't think a telescoping pole is absolutely necessary. A pole or 4x4 post is easier to predator guard, though, and you might want to do that with a hefty raccoon population. Cornell Lab of Ornithology recommends mounting eastern screech owl boxes at least 10' above the ground: nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/birds/eastern-screech-owl/ I would try to keep your owl box at least 50' or more away from your other songbird nest boxes--as far apart as your property allows and out of direct line of sight. Yes, screech owls prey on songbirds, but I honestly think Cooper's hawks pose more of a threat to them than screech owls. My personal experience is that the songbirds gang up and chastise the screech owls if they show themselves during daylight hours in the vicinity of my feeders. I suspect if you can provide some reasonable distance and visual screening between the nest boxes (screech owl in forested setting; bluebirds in the open), you can offer nesting habitat for both species.