Well, Rick, I'll tell you my secret for attracting screech owls and other
good birds. First, have massive winds inflict severe damage on lots of trees
in your yard on several memorable occasions. Then, if a tree is merely
smashed but not uprooted, leave it as a 15- to 20-foot stub rather than
cutting it down completely. Next, wait a few years as these damaged trunks
decay and crumble (helped along by woodpeckers and squirrels), and voila!
You've now got many excellent nesting and roosting sites -- until the tree
collapses completely or your neighbors complain.
Janet Millenson
Potomac, MD (Montgomery County)
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Look at the birds!" -- Pascal the parrot
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick Sussman" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 6:06 PM
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Yard owl
|
| In a message dated 11/14/2008 2:12:12 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
| writes:
|
| Last year (?) the owl was only seen on a handful of days.
|
| Janet Millenson
|
|
|
| "Only" seen on a handful of days! Last year I spent the best part of a day
| building a nice pine screech owl box. Spent the better part of an
afternoon
| literally hauling it about 15 feet up our red oak tree by rope and
carabiner
| (and at my age and weight, no mean feat!). Then, with my one leg wrapped
| precariously around the trunk, struggled to get it mounted to the trees'
main
| trunk. Have I once seen a screech owl there? Nope, just a nice noisy,
dirty flock
| of those visitors from Europe, who moved in right away, thought they'd
died
| and gone to starling heaven I suppose.
|
| Enjoy your owl Janet, even for just those few days!
|
| Rick Sussman
| Woodbine, MD
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