January at The Shack: Owl Hunting

Okay, I wasn't actually Owl "hunting".  That isn't legal. But I spent a good deal of time trying to spot an Owl during my last visit at The Shack. I went up to spend the last few days of 2018 and the first day of 2019 at my favorite spot. 

Following a record-breaking rainy year, my vacation at The Shack was during unseasonably warm weather. Several days were wet and gloomy. But one day dawned clear and the temperature was pleasant.

I grabbed my camera and my binoculars and headed down the hill and into the woods to look at hollow trees. I wandered and sat, wandered and sat. I listened and looked.

Why Am I Looking for Owls in My Woods?

I am trying to learn how to better identify birds in general. And have seen several birds at The Shack that I've never seen before: Indigo Bunting, Golden Eagle, and Wood Thrush to name a few. 

I've only ever seen Owls in captivity. And I think I have occasionally seen an owl swoop through the woods at dusk during camping trips. But I was never certain.

I am sure (as sure as I can be) that there are owls in my area. During one winter time camping trip at The Shack I woke to a loud noise. I listened, in the pitch dark, as something seemed to fly up and down along the edge of the woods making a really loud calling sound. I was sure it was an owl. Completely unsure what type of owl.

After returning home, I looked up bird sightings in that region of West Virginia (on eBird) and confirmed that there are owls sighted in that general area. 

A Couple of Things I've Learned About Owls

In reading about owls in that area, I have learned that some adult owls are very small - nearly the size of robins. I had always imagined that Owls would be at least knee-high if you stood next to one. I was wrong. This information has me looking at smaller openings much more closely.

I have also learned that you can sometimes attract owls to your area by putting up a nest box. I definitely plan on putting up an owl-sized nest box in my woods!

I am aware that owls are nocturnal. But I learned that sometimes you can spot them during the day. And that if you are near a nest, they will sometimes be visible in the hollow opening.

It is for that reason that I looked and looked at my trees; MANY of which are hollow.

I know I have Pileated Woodpeckers in my woods. I hear them constantly. I see them occasionally. 

I think I have more hollow trees than average in my woods. My plan is to plant native and appropriate young trees to replace these older trees that appear to be dying.  But in the meantime, I am attempting to search these hollow trees for any signs of owls. 

The following photos are very exciting to me. But I do not imagine they'll be very exciting to my readers. In fact, you may begin to wonder what in the world is wrong with me. But in hopes of getting better at spotting owl nests, I am sharing these photos.

This is a lousy photo. 

In part because of the lighting and in part because it is such a tall tree. 

But I hope you can see what appears to be a nest made of sticks in that crack.

The shape of this hole

and the thickness of the wood is interesting to me.

Holes made by wildlife? 

Or just a decaying, hollow tree?

I'm not at all sure.