#i heard both a barn owl and a great horned owl the other night while I took the dog I was dogsitting outside

[desert-dyke]

best part of living where I do is that it has brought back a childlike sense of wonder towards nature

[nightingaleonalilactree]

Between Times -first chapter: BEFORE THE FALL

“When everything was beautiful and nothing hurt...”

― Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five

Once upon a time…

…When time wasn’t invented yet…

 

 There was a lot of peace and quiet everywhere. The angels were drawing sketches of animals and plants and stars, whispering with each other about how beautiful everything and anything was and would be.

 

But it shouldn't stay this way. The only constant in life is change. Which is an important thing to remember, because change is the only thing that brings you from one place to another.

 

Some angels got nervous. Some got jumpy. Some fuzzy.

They were buzzing around aimlessly. Like bees, which would be invented soon. And just as graceful.

 

They started to form groups.

Friendships and partnerships evolved.

Some feelings even got beyond the feeling of close friendship.

 

One certain Angel for one had developed a crush on one chubby angel since- well, since even before the beginning of times.

It was the very first school girl crush, long before schoolgirls were even invented.

 

Aziraphale of course, although he admired the other angels’ warm gold and friendly eyes and his long hair, sometimes like fire and sometimes like blood and could make him laugh and would talk with him and listen to him and make his stomach fill with freshly invented butterflies and his smile that could make you feel like the whole room lit up, was completely oblivious.

 

But they had bonded over creating the universe. Made the stars and the sky together. Our Angel invented red dwarfs and white dwarfs and pulsars and planets and dwarf planets and moons. And Aziraphale made every kind of owl- the barn owl, the Short-eared owl, the Long-eared owl, the great horned owl, the spotted owl, the elf owl, the great grey owl and all sorts of night hawks and even some bats. –all of them creatures of the darkness, so they would be able to gaze upon the night sky and admire its beauty.

 

Anyway, now the angels had something in between a meeting and a date planned and you don't have to ask who would like to call it which.

 

So our Angel sat there waiting for Aziraphale, on a cloud that was turning violet from the setting sun, and dreamed of all sorts of things.

 

Since Science hadn't been invented yet, he wondered what caused the cloud to change its colour after they had turned them white.

The sun set and now the cloud underneath him was dark blue.

He miracled it back to white.

And then his thoughts found their way back to his beautiful angel. 

 

Since lunch wasn't invented yet, they hadn't much opportunity to have other hobbies than stargazing, which they now had planned to do. -If Aziraphale would finally show up.

 

In some distance the annoying sounds of someone who couldn't play the harp could be heard. It was probably Gabriel, who enjoyed practicing between their shifts.

Well, everyone had gotten a harp on their first day, but no one really knew how to play them. 

 

Why would they even want them to play?

 

It sounded even worse when everyone at the same time decided to try the instrument. 

 

He tried to ignore the unfortunate noise.

This time our Angel wanted to surprise Aziraphale with the freshly made moons of Jupiter -there were a few more than 79 and he especially liked the four bigger ones, Europa, Ganymed, Kalisto and Io. They were nice to look at, he thought. Messier 25, which was a star cluster close to the centre of the Milky Way was also freshly made. But his favourite thing of all were shooting stars. He was as close to proud of these creations as was allowed. It would be quite romantic to look at them together, he hoped. Everything was nice, as long as Aziraphale was there.

 

He looked up smiling brightly as he felt someone approaching him. 

His smile faltered as he recognised Michael.

 

"You are waiting for someone.", Michael stated sternly without any word of greeting.

 

"Aziraphale. Do you know where he is?", Our Angel answered.

 

"You spend an awful lot of time together.", Michael stated, ignoring him.

 

"I enjoy his presence immensely. Why do you ask?"

 

"I see."

 

"I... I like the way he smiles.", Our Angel said quietly after a pause.

 

And suddenly he felt something he would, many years later, define as the feeling of guilt.

 

"Do... Do you think god would approve, if-"

 

"It's not allowed to fall in love with another angel.

You should only truly love god herself."

At a distance an angel with hip long silver hair stared at them. His eyes were white. Just white. The irises, the pupils. White. Our Angel had the feeling that the other one was watching Michael, really. He had seen them together now and then. Whispering, sometimes quietly fighting. What Michael now has said, didn’t make sense.

 

"Why?", Our Angel asked.

 

"You are not supposed to."

 

"It doesn't make any sense at all. Why-"

 

Michael glared at him.

Then there was a strange sound.

 

It sounded like an explosion, when the first angel fell.

 

Everything was shaking.

A second one. 

 

Now they hit the ground like comets.

 

The next ones fell.

The angel with the white eyes was gone. Our Angel could feel fear and sorrow radiating from Michael, while his features stayed neutral.

 

There were feathers in the air.

Screaming and crying could be heard.

It smelled of sulphur and burned feathers.

 

Our Angel could feel their pain.

 

"Why would they do that?", he shouted over the raging noise.

 

Then he had a sinking feeling in the place where soon a heart would pound.

His wings darkened, as the clouds opened underneath him.

 

He could feel himself saunter vaguely downwards.

Losing a tiny bit of memory with every inch he approached hell.

 

Underneath the clouds a snake slithered away, angry, scared, confused.

 

The clouds had been invented way before rain. And it had been a good laugh, when an animal like a cloud but with four legs was created.

Now the clouds were dark and threatening above.

The frightened sheep underneath hid between the trees.

 

When everything calmed down, the silence was too loud.

 

Both sides. Heaven and hell were in shock.

 

It was the silence that had woken up Aziraphale. He had fallen asleep over a first attempt what would later look like a writing.

 

The angel wouldn't fall asleep again for the next many hundred years.

 

He stumbled towards the place where he was supposed to meet our now fallen Angel.

 

Aziraphale looked left and right.

Walked in a circle.

Called our Angel’s name.

Again and again and again.

The other angels stared at him.

But no one answered.

 

He was gone.

 

The snake looked up to the clouds.

A single tear rolled down its dark green and scaly cheek.

 

Finally, the blond angel looked down. There was a lot of green and a lot of movement and he marvelled at its beauty.

There were sheep that looked like the clouds above them. Fireflies. Giraffes. A Frog. A sad snake. 

 

He would meet this snake in the Garden of Eden.

Soon.

[ohmygillygoshoppler]

for you, @bunnythemurderer

Happy Birthday babe! Hope you enjoy it!

Now I need to get to bed... I have work tomorrow...

"Where we going, again?" Jordi asked as she tugged the seat belt off over her waist.

"I told you; I'm taking you out."

"Coming from you, that means i'm either getting dinner with you, or you plan on shooting me."

The horseman gave a mock gasp and brought a hand to his chest, as if he were actually taken back by that. "Jojo, I'm wounded!" he wiped a non-existent tear from his left cheek and gave her a playful shove out of the car as she opened her door. He laughed as she cursed at him.

"It's your birthday, and we're doing something nice for you. Dinner date at Reeth's is the best I could do, given my schedule-"

"Aww, that's alright. A free meal's a free meal." The human mumbled, shrugging her new leather jacket back into place.

This time of day, there were many patrons at the establishment, and the overall ambiance was far different than the quiet murmurs of the handful of people and the occasional clatter of the dishes. This time, it was loud, Ladies up front up on the milk carton stage were singing a song about hexing an old friend. The way their voices carried sounded like something out of a dream, and the other men playing their instruments along were just as captivating. It was even better than the stuff going on outside, Gods, it was a small orchestra!

Strife and Jojo stuck to the far wall and watched in blatant astonishment. They swerved as waiters and waitresses rushed this way and that, darting between tables. Jojo looked around; she was almost completely surrounded by Infernals! She could hear the multiple cooks shouting in the back, a god damned band, and what appeared to be security, all of whom looked to have shared demonic heritage. She even saw Simoné herself up at the bar taking orders, and watched her hand out food to people at other booths. She rushed in and out of the kitchen, from one table to the next. It was busy.

Two women stood up at the stage, singing while Dante played. Both Succubi, one a pale cream in skin and hair color, the other a bright orange and brown with much larger and noticeable horns. Their voices harmonized in a strange and wonderful way; like the voices she heard singing on the radios on the walk over here. Drums played, flutes and clarinets blasted from behind the ladies, and people were all over the tavern dancing and throwing each other around. It was a swing club, alright.

Simoné's voice rang out over the loud din of the crowd, calling Jojo's name. A hefty mug in one hand, she waved the pair over to the bar.

"There she is!" The witch shouted, silencing the singers on stage, along with the musicians. "It's the lady of the hour!"

Danté's head popped up from inside the kitchen window. His blackened eyes twinkled with a friendly type of blithe. "Ayyy, it's about time she got here! I thought she wasn't going to show!" the demon shot Jordi a wink and mouther that there was a surprise for her.

Jojo covered her face with her hands as Strife's big hand pressed her on toward the bar. She scooted herself comfortably into a barstool and gracefully accepted the flurry of kisses delivered by her friend behind the counter.

"We got a surprise for you tonight, sweetie!" Simoné giggled, tapping the bell on the counter at the kitchen window. Danté gave a shrill whistle, and disappeared back into the kitchen, coming back with what Jordi knew as a Boston creme cheesecake! It was decorated with blue and white frosting, dotted with colorful berries and pretty shiny strawberries. Jordan had to slap away a certain nephilim's hand as the cake approached, the demon placing tiny kisses on the two candles in it's center.

Cheerfully, she tugging Strife's sleeve. The bar was crowded with men and women talking and eating their meals, but were squished aside when the witch waved them all out of the way. Strife pushed her forward and Jordan leaned close when Simoné next spoke.

"Make a wish and blow 'em out, baby doll!" She cooed as Danté came up from beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Make it a good one. We worked all morning on this cake!" the demon smiled.

Jordi sucked her lip through her teeth, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. In that Let's see... what to wish for this year...

Well, what do I need? I have a nice house, a friend who loves and supports me, nice job, decent boyfriend... She thought about it for just a moment, and for just a moment, she realized she already had everything she ever wanted... accept one thing...

The quiet of the tavern was quickly drowned out with an uproar of applause and laughter. Both she and Strife grabbed a slice of cake first, afterward the  two were lost to a wild night of dinner, dancing, and drinking. Jodri had no idea Strife was such a coordinated dancing man!! She'd never spun around so much in all her life...

-

It was about 2:15 in the morning when Strife dropped her off back at the house. It was still relatively bright outside, given the current time of night. She bid her nephilim lover farewell, left him with a remainder of the cake and proceeded to climb the stairs up to her front door. She sleepily stepped on upstairs, finding it quite surprising to find one of her old friends sitting on their porch swing, reading a book.

She grinned, wiping her eyes. "Azreal,"

The angel glanced up from his book, a smile cracking through the cool serenity that was the scholar's countenance. "Jordan, I'm glad I could meet you here, I-" he paused and glanced downstairs, craning his neck out and canning the sidewalk below. "Is... Is she here?"

"No, she won't be in for another hour or so," Jojo giggled, taking a seat next to the angel.

"Good, good... I know she's still having her issues with me..." The archangel laughed, in spite of himself. "Oh! I brought something for you,"

Jordi watched as Azreal reached between his legs, under the seat of the swing and pulled out a stark white package. It was the simplest thing Jojo had ever seen.

He set the box in her lap, tapping the top with a finger. "Happy birthday, Jordan."

She slowly opened the package, letting the box top fall to the patio floor as she covered her mouth with her hand, unable to hold back a stream of giggles. It was the cutest little Ortho cub she had ever seen! It looked like a barn owl in the face, and some sort of snow leopard in the body. Its feathers puffed out when its large black eyes roved up at Jordan, unleashing a shrill squeal up at her as she lifted the tiny creature from under its legs and holding it close.

"She's a northerner," Azreal started, reaching over and stroking her tail. "They're one of the smallest. Good for apartments."

"Oh, Az, this is so wonderful! I love her, oh lookit her!" she cried, tears welling in her tired eyes. She threw a free arm around her angelic friend's neck and hugged him as tight as she would allow without chocking him. "This is great! I love her so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Jordan kicked the box back under the porch swing and set her new little cuddle bug on her stomach, scratching her between the wings. Azreal had asked her what she planned on calling her new little friend, to which Jordi had no response. She had to figure out a name for her. She thought about it as Azreal made his goodbyes, deciding not to be around when Simoné came home. She thought about it when she retired to her home, into her room, taking her snowy little friend to bed with her.

She was far too tired to think about a name at the moment... She had been partied out of her mind... But she'd decide on a name for her little bug later on... After she got some sleep...

[josephkitchen0]

How to Attract Owls and Why You Should Give a Hoot

Learning how to attract owls to your homestead has many rewards including acting as a natural way to get rid of mice. The joy of spotting the magical birds on evening owl prowls is also a reward in itself. Not as common as songbirds, when you spot an owl it is extra exciting.

Closing my poultry shed one evening, I heard an eerie, horse-like call from a cluster of oak trees in the corner of my yard.  Half a minute later I heard a response in the forty-foot-tall clumping bamboo. I was surrounded, by pint-sized predators.

A few weeks later the screech owls had moved into one of the four nest boxes I had made. Soon after, two owlets flew the coop.

“By designing a garden that includes nesting and roosting habitat for owls, you will be availing yourself of the best possible organic pest control for your home and garden,” said Robert S. Mulvihill, the National Aviary’s ornithologist, and a well-known expert for information about birds who has been working with owls for 40 years.

Owl Nest Box

Screech owls make excellent neighbors as they work not only for free but throughout the night unseen. To invite owls to your homestead, build a nest box. Learning how to attract owls now is especially important as the owls will start nesting in early spring.

According to the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center, located in Palm City, Florida, screech owl distribution and abundance is determined by available nesting sites. The more boxes, the more owls. However, they are territorial so each box should be about 100 feet apart. Rough cut wood that weathers well, such as cedar, cypress or redwood is preferred, as the box should remain unpainted. The wildlife center recommends hanging the box on a tree, building, or pole about 15 feet high. The structure that the box is attached to should be at least as wide as the box. Place it on the edge of your treeline, close to an open yard.

Place wood shavings or pine straw into the nest as screech owls do not bring nesting materials. Do not use cedar shavings or sawdust. If starlings or sparrows begin to place their own nesting materials inside, remove them, as screech owls will not use an occupied box. American Kestrels, a small native falcon, will use the same type of nest boxes and can also be welcomed as a natural way to get rid of mice and insects. To attract these birds of prey, place the box higher, on an isolated live or dead tree. Although there are many designs, I like the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center’s blueprint the best. Dan Martinelli, Executive Director of the wildlife center has shared their simple nesting box made from a single 1” x 10” x 8′ board.

Ready to Start Your Own Backyard Flock?

Get tips and tricks for starting your new flock from our chicken experts. Download your FREE guide today! YES! I want this Free Guide »

Screech Owl Nest Box plans courtesy of Treasure Coast Wildlife Center.

My screech owl nest box with resident!

Where do Owls Nest?

“Owls nest everywhere,” said Mulvihill. “Several kinds of owls — including screech owls, northern saw-whet owls, elf owls and barred owls — nest in old woodpecker cavities and natural cavities in trees or in the West, saguaro cactuses. Barn owls even nest in old buildings.”

Mulvihill says that other owls like the great horned and long-eared prefer to nest in open stick nests in trees that they commandeer from crows or hawks. “Some nest on the ground —short-eared owl and snowy owl — and one species, the burrowing owl, nests in underground burrows made by other animals like prairie dogs and gophers,” he adds.

All of the cavity-nesting owls will sometimes use human-made nest boxes, too. “Barn owls, in particular, have been helped greatly by programs aimed at providing nest boxes for them in suitable grassland habitats both here in the United States and in Europe,” said Mulvihill.

Bob Mulvihill, the National Aviary’s ornithologist. Photo courtesy of National Aviary.

What do Owls Eat?

You may be wondering do owls eat chickens? Or will they eat my livestock? While owls are strictly carnivorous and eat a wide range of animals appropriate to their size, the likelihood of them hunting your diurnal livestock is small. “Many owls, like screech owls, will eat a wide range of prey from small mammals and birds to large insects,” Mulvihill says. “Others, like barn owls, feed more strictly on small mammals. The large great horned owl eats rabbits, rats, skunks and smaller owls.”

Barred owls, named for their beautiful barred chest feathers prefer mature riverine forest habitat and are known to feed on fish, crayfish, amphibians, and snakes. Unless your birds are unprotected during the night, owls shouldn’t be blamed as a chicken predator.

How Long do Owls Live?

Smaller species of owls can live up to 10 years, while the largest can live over 30 years. “Without exception, owls are beneficial as natural predators in the habitats and ecosystems that they inhabit; for humans, they can help control prey like mice and rats that sometimes can be considered nuisances or pests around homes,” said Mulvihill.

Backyard, Barnyard, Buddies

Barn owls have declined in numbers and many folks are now trying to attract them back to their homesteads. Barn owls are found worldwide. They can take up residence in abandoned sheds, barns and silos. Learning how to attract owls is easy: designate a rustic area to the garden where pruning and maintenance are kept to a minimum to encourage these birds to move in. Reducing widespread exterior lighting such as floodlights will also help.

Barn owl

One of the best hunting habitats for barn owls is rough grassland with a high population of field voles. If you own land in the countryside, a great way to encourage barn owls is to increase their food supply by creating patches of compact grassland with layers of dead grass for the vermin to live. Adding a bird feeder near a brush pile will invite songbirds to recycle your yard waste into nesting material. Leaving seeds and nuts on the ground will entice rodents which in turn brings the owls.

To keep the barn owls once you have attracted them, you can entice them by providing nesting and roosting places. Nest boxes similar to the former design are welcomed by the owls as long as the size is 12.5″ x 16″ x 22″ or larger. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, barn owls are sensitive during the early phases of nesting in April and May and will abandon a nest if disturbed. Boxes can be placed in a variety of structures, including barns, silos, grain elevators, church steeples, or mounted on a free-standing pole.

Avoiding poisons, such as rodenticides will keep your birds safe. And since you’ll have these natural predators you will not need rodenticides.

Snowy owls are also often seen in wide-open spaces. If your northern homestead has a rolling terrain and is treeless, this owl might take up residency. Often seen sitting on the ground to hunt, they prefer land that offers them a view. In the winter they will also perch on fence posts, hay bales, buildings, and grain elevators.

Snowy Owl courtesy of National Aviary

Great horned owls are one of the largest species in the United States and can eat prey items as large as skunks. Leave large, bare branches or snags to encourage nest sites. These roosts will also serve as lookout posts for these perch and pounce predators.

Me holding a great horned owl. This bird is used in an education program at a zoological organization.

Owls serve an important ecological niche and help us out by eating crop pests. What types of owls have visited your homestead? Let us know in the comments below.

How to Attract Owls and Why You Should Give a Hoot was originally posted by All About Chickens

[josephkitchen0]

How to Attract Owls and Why You Should Give a Hoot

Learning how to attract owls to your homestead has many rewards including acting as a natural way to get rid of mice. The joy of spotting the magical birds on evening owl prowls is also a reward in itself. Not as common as songbirds, when you spot an owl it is extra exciting.

Closing my poultry shed one evening, I heard an eerie, horse-like call from a cluster of oak trees in the corner of my yard.  Half a minute later I heard a response in the forty-foot-tall clumping bamboo. I was surrounded, by pint-sized predators.

A few weeks later the screech owls had moved into one of the four nest boxes I had made. Soon after, two owlets flew the coop.

“By designing a garden that includes nesting and roosting habitat for owls, you will be availing yourself of the best possible organic pest control for your home and garden,” said Robert S. Mulvihill, the National Aviary’s ornithologist, and a well-known expert for information about birds who has been working with owls for 40 years.

Owl Nest Box

Screech owls make excellent neighbors as they work not only for free but throughout the night unseen. To invite owls to your homestead, build a nest box. Learning how to attract owls now is especially important as the owls will start nesting in early spring.

According to the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center, located in Palm City, Florida, screech owl distribution and abundance is determined by available nesting sites. The more boxes, the more owls. However, they are territorial so each box should be about 100 feet apart. Rough cut wood that weathers well, such as cedar, cypress or redwood is preferred, as the box should remain unpainted. The wildlife center recommends hanging the box on a tree, building, or pole about 15 feet high. The structure that the box is attached to should be at least as wide as the box. Place it on the edge of your treeline, close to an open yard.

Place wood shavings or pine straw into the nest as screech owls do not bring nesting materials. Do not use cedar shavings or sawdust. If starlings or sparrows begin to place their own nesting materials inside, remove them, as screech owls will not use an occupied box. American Kestrels, a small native falcon, will use the same type of nest boxes and can also be welcomed as a natural way to get rid of mice and insects. To attract these birds of prey, place the box higher, on an isolated live or dead tree. Although there are many designs, I like the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center’s blueprint the best. Dan Martinelli, Executive Director of the wildlife center has shared their simple nesting box made from a single 1” x 10” x 8′ board.

Ready to Start Your Own Backyard Flock?

Get tips and tricks for starting your new flock from our chicken experts. Download your FREE guide today! YES! I want this Free Guide »

Screech Owl Nest Box plans courtesy of Treasure Coast Wildlife Center.

My screech owl nest box with resident!

Where do Owls Nest?

“Owls nest everywhere,” said Mulvihill. “Several kinds of owls — including screech owls, northern saw-whet owls, elf owls and barred owls — nest in old woodpecker cavities and natural cavities in trees or in the West, saguaro cactuses. Barn owls even nest in old buildings.”

Mulvihill says that other owls like the great horned and long-eared prefer to nest in open stick nests in trees that they commandeer from crows or hawks. “Some nest on the ground —short-eared owl and snowy owl — and one species, the burrowing owl, nests in underground burrows made by other animals like prairie dogs and gophers,” he adds.

All of the cavity-nesting owls will sometimes use human-made nest boxes, too. “Barn owls, in particular, have been helped greatly by programs aimed at providing nest boxes for them in suitable grassland habitats both here in the United States and in Europe,” said Mulvihill.

Bob Mulvihill, the National Aviary’s ornithologist. Photo courtesy of National Aviary.

What do Owls Eat?

You may be wondering do owls eat chickens? Or will they eat my livestock? While owls are strictly carnivorous and eat a wide range of animals appropriate to their size, the likelihood of them hunting your diurnal livestock is small. “Many owls, like screech owls, will eat a wide range of prey from small mammals and birds to large insects,” Mulvihill says. “Others, like barn owls, feed more strictly on small mammals. The large great horned owl eats rabbits, rats, skunks and smaller owls.”

Barred owls, named for their beautiful barred chest feathers prefer mature riverine forest habitat and are known to feed on fish, crayfish, amphibians, and snakes. Unless your birds are unprotected during the night, owls shouldn’t be blamed as a chicken predator.

How Long do Owls Live?

Smaller species of owls can live up to 10 years, while the largest can live over 30 years. “Without exception, owls are beneficial as natural predators in the habitats and ecosystems that they inhabit; for humans, they can help control prey like mice and rats that sometimes can be considered nuisances or pests around homes,” said Mulvihill.

Backyard, Barnyard, Buddies

Barn owls have declined in numbers and many folks are now trying to attract them back to their homesteads. Barn owls are found worldwide. They can take up residence in abandoned sheds, barns and silos. Learning how to attract owls is easy: designate a rustic area to the garden where pruning and maintenance are kept to a minimum to encourage these birds to move in. Reducing widespread exterior lighting such as floodlights will also help.

Barn owl

One of the best hunting habitats for barn owls is rough grassland with a high population of field voles. If you own land in the countryside, a great way to encourage barn owls is to increase their food supply by creating patches of compact grassland with layers of dead grass for the vermin to live. Adding a bird feeder near a brush pile will invite songbirds to recycle your yard waste into nesting material. Leaving seeds and nuts on the ground will entice rodents which in turn brings the owls.

To keep the barn owls once you have attracted them, you can entice them by providing nesting and roosting places. Nest boxes similar to the former design are welcomed by the owls as long as the size is 12.5″ x 16″ x 22″ or larger. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, barn owls are sensitive during the early phases of nesting in April and May and will abandon a nest if disturbed. Boxes can be placed in a variety of structures, including barns, silos, grain elevators, church steeples, or mounted on a free-standing pole.

Avoiding poisons, such as rodenticides will keep your birds safe. And since you’ll have these natural predators you will not need rodenticides.

Snowy owls are also often seen in wide-open spaces. If your northern homestead has a rolling terrain and is treeless, this owl might take up residency. Often seen sitting on the ground to hunt, they prefer land that offers them a view. In the winter they will also perch on fence posts, hay bales, buildings, and grain elevators.

Snowy Owl courtesy of National Aviary

Great horned owls are one of the largest species in the United States and can eat prey items as large as skunks. Leave large, bare branches or snags to encourage nest sites. These roosts will also serve as lookout posts for these perch and pounce predators.

Me holding a great horned owl. This bird is used in an education program at a zoological organization.

Owls serve an important ecological niche and help us out by eating crop pests. What types of owls have visited your homestead? Let us know in the comments below.

How to Attract Owls and Why You Should Give a Hoot was originally posted by All About Chickens

[josephkitchen0]

How to Attract Owls and Why You Should Give a Hoot

Learning how to attract owls to your homestead has many rewards including acting as a natural way to get rid of mice. The joy of spotting the magical birds on evening owl prowls is also a reward in itself. Not as common as songbirds, when you spot an owl it is extra exciting.

Closing my poultry shed one evening, I heard an eerie, horse-like call from a cluster of oak trees in the corner of my yard.  Half a minute later I heard a response in the forty-foot-tall clumping bamboo. I was surrounded, by pint-sized predators.

A few weeks later the screech owls had moved into one of the four nest boxes I had made. Soon after, two owlets flew the coop.

“By designing a garden that includes nesting and roosting habitat for owls, you will be availing yourself of the best possible organic pest control for your home and garden,” said Robert S. Mulvihill, the National Aviary’s ornithologist, and a well-known expert for information about birds who has been working with owls for 40 years.

Owl Nest Box

Screech owls make excellent neighbors as they work not only for free but throughout the night unseen. To invite owls to your homestead build a nest box. Learning how to attract owls now is especially important as the owls will start nesting in early spring.

According to the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center, located in Palm City, Florida, screech owl distribution and abundance is determined by available nesting sites. The more boxes, the more owls. However, they are territorial so each box should be about 100 feet apart. Rough cut wood that weathers well, such as cedar, cypress or redwood is preferred, as the box should remain unpainted. The wildlife center recommends hanging the box on a tree, building, or pole about 15 feet high. The structure that the box is attached to should be at least as wide as the box. Place it on the edge of your treeline, close to an open yard.

Place wood shavings or pine straw into the nest as screech owls do not bring nesting materials. Do not use cedar shavings or sawdust. If starlings or sparrows begin to place their own nesting materials inside, remove them, as screech owls will not use an occupied box. American Kestrels, a small native falcon, will use the same type of nest boxes and can also be welcomed as a natural way to get rid of mice and insects. To attract these birds of prey, place the box higher, on an isolated live or dead tree. Although there are many designs, I like the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center’s blueprint the best. Dan Martinelli, Executive Director of the wildlife center has shared their simple nesting box made from a single 1” x 10” x 8′ board.

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Screech Owl Nest Box plans courtesy of Treasure Coast Wildlife Center.

My screech owl nest box with resident!

Where do Owls Nest?

“Owls nest everywhere,” said Mulvihill. “Several kinds of owls — including screech owls, northern saw-whet owls, elf owls and barred owls — nest in old woodpecker cavities and natural cavities in trees or in the West, saguaro cactuses. Barn owls even nest in old buildings.”

Mulvihill says that other owls like the great horned and long-eared prefer to nest in open stick nests in trees that they commandeer from crows or hawks. “Some nest on the ground —short-eared owl and snowy owl — and one species, the burrowing owl, nests in underground burrows made by other animals like prairie dogs and gophers,” he adds.

All of the cavity-nesting owls will sometimes use human-made nest boxes, too. “Barn owls, in particular, have been helped greatly by programs aimed at providing nest boxes for them in suitable grassland habitats both here in the United States and in Europe,” said Mulvihill.

Bob Mulvihill, the National Aviary’s ornithologist. Photo courtesy of National Aviary.

What do Owls Eat?

You may be wondering do owls eat chickens? Or will they eat my livestock? While owls are strictly carnivorous and eat a wide range of animals appropriate to their size, the likelihood of them hunting your diurnal livestock is small. “Many owls, like screech owls, will eat a wide range of prey from small mammals and birds to large insects,” Mulvihill says. “Others, like barn owls, feed more strictly on small mammals. The large great horned owl eats rabbits, rats, skunks and smaller owls.”

Barred owls, named for their beautiful barred chest feathers prefer mature riverine forest habitat and are known to feed on fish, crayfish, amphibians, and snakes. Unless your birds are unprotected during the night, owls shouldn’t be blamed as a chicken predator.

How Long do Owls Live?

Smaller species of owls can live up to 10 years, while the largest can live over 30 years. “Without exception, owls are beneficial as natural predators in the habitats and ecosystems that they inhabit; for humans, they can help control prey like mice and rats that sometimes can be considered nuisances or pests around homes,” said Mulvihill.

Backyard, Barnyard, Buddies

Barn owls have declined in numbers and many folks are now trying to attract them back to their homesteads. Barn owls are found worldwide. They can take up residence in abandoned sheds, barns and silos. Learning how to attract owls is easy: designate a rustic area to the garden where pruning and maintenance are kept to a minimum to encourage these birds to move in. Reducing widespread exterior lighting such as floodlights will also help.

Barn owl

One of the best hunting habitats for barn owls is rough grassland with a high population of field voles. If you own land in the countryside, a great way to encourage barn owls is to increase their food supply by creating patches of compact grassland with layers of dead grass for the vermin to live. Adding a bird feeder near a brush pile will invite songbirds to recycle your yard waste into nesting material. Leaving seeds and nuts on the ground will entice rodents which in turn brings the owls.

To keep the barn owls once you have attracted them, you can entice them by providing nesting and roosting places. Nest boxes similar to the former design are welcomed by the owls as long as the size is 12.5″ x 16″ x 22″ or larger. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, barn owls are sensitive during the early phases of nesting in April and May and will abandon a nest if disturbed. Boxes can be placed in a variety of structures, including barns, silos, grain elevators, church steeples, or mounted on a free-standing pole.

Avoiding poisons, such as rodenticides will keep your birds safe. And since you’ll have these natural predators you will not need rodenticides.

Snowy owls are also often seen in wide-open spaces. If your northern homestead has a rolling terrain and is treeless, this owl might take up residency. Often seen sitting on the ground to hunt, they prefer land that offers them a view. In the winter they will also perch on fence posts, hay bales, buildings, and grain elevators.

Snowy Owl courtesy of National Aviary

Great horned owls are one of the largest species in the United States and can eat prey items as large as skunks. Leave large, bare branches or snags to encourage nest sites. These roosts will also serve as lookout posts for these perch and pounce predators.

Me holding a great horned owl. This bird is used in an education program at a zoological organization.

Owls serve an important ecological niche and help us out by eating crop pests. What types of owls have visited your homestead? Let us know in the comments below.

How to Attract Owls and Why You Should Give a Hoot was originally posted by All About Chickens