Owls in the Owl Box!

Several years ago, I built a screech owl box, using these plans (click here).  I installed it about 30 feet up in an ash tree.  Since then, I have seen squirrels examine it out of curiosity, but not much else.  Until this year.  This year, a pair of screech owls have decided to take up residence and they have a couple of babies. 

She feeds them each evening starting around 8:30 pm.  Her pattern is to fly to a nearby branch and call to them.  They squeal back, and then she flies up and feeds them bugs.  Apparently, she is quite skilled at catching them because she flies back to the nest about every minute.  Here she is in action; the best I could do considering it was after dark.

I also learned that owls make a warning sound when you get too close, a sharp snapping of the beak.  She has flown just overhead snapping her beak at me a couple of times while I have been taking pictures.  I read that owls will sometimes rap a human on the head if they get cranky enough and if a person gets too close.  We sit back a little farther now and use the binoculars to watch her feed.  It's a great show at sunset! 

Here are the babies making their sounds... you'll have to excuse the loud whistling at the end; it's me:

We enjoying watching them in the evenings.  I hope they will make it on their own and we'll get to hear them at night making their high pitched calls.  If I get any better pictures or video, I'll post it.