I know. You want an owl update. You maybe even subscribed to my site JUST for the owl updates. Here's the thing about owls. They're sneaky.
When last we met Mr. Snacks and Mrs. Snacks had fled for several days only to return. I made a statement at that time that I would not overreact when the owls behaved abnormally. So when they disappeared again the next day I didn't overreact.
Days went by and I was perfectly cool. Then it was a week without a sign of either of them.
March 13th, after 4 days of not seeing an owl, I put my iPhone on a light stand, hit the video record button and raised it up into the air until I could see inside the owl box.
Nothing. Alright I'm no longer feeling all cool about this. This is NOT cool.
I figured if I didn't report on this long absence and obvious abandonment of the nesting box maybe they'd come back. I'd just leave it another day, and another day.
I started getting irate emails from owl lovers demanding to see the owls. They went something like this:
Dear Karen,
I love your coverage of the owls, thank you so much for sharing them with your readers. I haven't seen them in a while, are they O.K.?
Random reader
Honestly, how am I supposed to sleep at night with this kind of vitriol.
I've checked the box (since I can see it from one single, luxurious square foot on my kitchen floor as long as I'm squatting and have my neck craned back like a baby Robin waiting for a worm) every day.
Nothing.
BUT THEN ...
March 24th I saw a flash of feathers falling as I randomly looked up at the box. I immediately dropped into my kitchen floor position and waited.
A few minutes later this popped out of the box.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
Mrs. Snacks. At least I think it's Mrs. Snacks. Now I'm wondering if I ever really knew them at all. Maybe this is a Mr. Snacks. Maybe this isn't an owl at all.
I really just don't trust my judgement with this sort of thing anymore.
Worried the owl was going to leave and never come back I spent another 8 hours sitting on my kitchen square foot waiting for it to do something more exciting than sit with its eyes closed.
Hour 7 she/he/they acquiesced. And partly opened their eyes.
In a few days I'll release the rest of the photos from this shoot.
THE BEST PART
For the first time, I found an owl pellet under the box. What's an owl pellet?
A pellet is a BARF!
After eating, owls digest their food, but form anything indigestible like bones or feathers into a pellet in their throat. A couple of times a day they regurgitate the pellet up and spit it out.
A pellet looks very similar to a cat’s hairball. It's elongated and in the shape of a throat.
When you find an owl pellet you can break it apart and see the bones of whatever it ate earlier in the day. It’s SUPER interesting, gross and weird.
Obviously you want to see that. So this week I'm going to photograph and take video of the pellet as I take it apart. When I've done that I'll share everything here with you.
THAT'S something for us all to look forward to. A barf necropsy.
As of today as I write this (Friday afternoon) MR. SNACKS is in the box.
I don't think my owl box has been selected as a nesting box. It feels late in the nesting season for that to happen. I say this with all the confidence of someone who knows everything about screech owls.
I know nothing about screech owls.
Virginia
Thanks for the update! Mugs would be a great idea. What an adventure.
Dee
I LOVE that as I am reading the end of this - and the pellet - I am thinking... "wow, no pictures - if anyone is going to post a pic of an owl pellet barf it would be Karen"... and then I read onwards... of course the Owl barf will get its own post -
well done !!
Karen
Yup! I did the dissecting and video yesterday. It was gross. And tedious! So many teeny tiny bones and teeth! ~ karen
GWENDEE
Horray the Snack family is back. Probably an extended honeymoon.
Ali
I have been worried sick about the owls. Thanks for the update. Looking forward to more picks and a full barf breakdown.
Ann
Barf necropsy! You are one sick puppy and I love it!!
GinaG
I'm relieved they're back and barfing. Maybe they are both Mr. Snacks and this is their owlman cave to get away from the Missus Snacks and the Snacklings. ;-)
Karen
Could be.🤷♀️ ~ karen!
Mary W
Sleepy eye coffee mugs are going to be a HUGE viral hit - if you make them to sell. I want to be first on your list of anticipation!
Karen
Understood, lol. I shall look into sets of owl face motif mugs. ~ karen!
Mary W
So glad for the update - you had me feeling sorry for them and you if they had moved out totally. Now I's feeling happy again - I can keep eating my oatmeal while learning about barf - thank you so much. LOL
Cara
Thank you thank you for owl update.
Happy Easter. Fingers crossed. We want an owl and owl babies instead of the Easter Bunny.
Karen
Yes! ~ karen
Deb from Maryland
I'm so happy your patience (read: obsessing) paid off. Thank you for doing the hard part for us to be further amazed by nature. Looking forward to the pellet necropsy!
Melissa D
I had to dissect an owl pellet for my 9th grade science class and reassemble and label it according to a faint mimeographed sheet. I made a 110 on it— highest grade in the class!
This counteracted my botany labeling project (I got a 55).
Karen
I barely remember anything other than wearing a paper plate hat on my head during grade 9. It was some sort of initiation. I have no idea what I was graded on it. ~ karen!
Diana
This is so cool 😎
Thanks for sharing!
Connie
Yay!
Ronnie P.
I forgot to mention this in my earlier comment…….I was awaken by the sound of a Hoot Owl this morning, so I got up to have my morning coffee and read my emails. Strangely enough, your email was the first that I read! Coincidence -or- Synchronicity!
Ronnie P.
Please keep us updated on your screech owls, and any other interesting wildlife in and around your home. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story about Mr. And Mrs. Snacks. You have quite the knack for storytelling; please keep it up! With all the negativity in the news around the world, it’s refreshing to read articles such as yours! Continue to enjoy the wonders of nature; and have a truly Blessed day!
Karen
Thanks Ronnie! I try to be a positive influence when I'm not swearing at people. ~ karen!
Alicia
My owls actually layed eggs crazy late last year, so anything is possible. Their box was taken over by a squirrel who moved her babies from a different box. So the owls took the abandoned box and started again. Babies fledged at the beginning of July! There's still hope. Many don't lay eggs until the end of March here in New York. Also...too late now..but they don't build their own nests..they usually use nests built by something else. If no luck this year, the box would be a more attractive nesting spot to them if you put a couple of inches of dry, slightly broken up leaves or clean fine wood chips in the bottom of the box early next winter. Either way, getting to just watch them is awesome!
Karen
For the past few days it's only been Mr. Snacks. He sits on the roost all day and leaves at dusk. (I put up a small security camera to keep an eye on things this time so I don't have to sit on the kitchen floor for hours.) ~ karen!
Peggy
Your patience with the owls is impressive. There is something captivating about being witness to such amazing creatures' private lives. I found this Owl Cam that might help you. [https://www.wbu.com/owl-cam/ ] I hope you get eggs.
I'm in Minnesota and we celebrated the arrival of Peregrine Falcon egg#4 in the Mayo Clinic's nesting box just today. It's thrilling to be able to observe.
That is at https://history.mayoclinic.org/falcon-program/ . if you want to check it out.
Hope you feel better~
Peace & Joy!
Karen
Hi Peggy, that was helpful! I'm testing some cameras to possibly livestream the owl box and the link confirmed what I thought. Which is that I need a hardwired, good quality security camera. ~ karen!
Paula
Yay more owl info!
Ginny Lupo
Yay! I've tried to be so patient, but it's been really hard. I LOVE the squinty eye picture. I'm certain you have some clever captions in mind. I see coffee mugs with the pic and a quip, don't you! Or hand towels or ...
I await the next update and pics of the lovely Mrs. Snacks and her beau.
Mary W
Fantastic idea - love the sleepy eye cup idea! You keep bugging her to get it done. Thanks.
Randy P
I am delighted for you that the/an owl has resumed occupancy of your little B&B - Bird and Boards. OK, this may not be on par with a full-blown PBS nature documentary with David Attenborough, you're a lot funnier and way better looking. I patiently await the results of the owl pellet necropsy.
Jan in Waterdown
Hey RP, your comments always crack me up, they’re a highlight of the comment section. I’m sure K is thrilled and relieved to finally know she’s way better looking than David Attenborough. 😅
TucsonPatty
I’m excited any way, whether or not they are nesting, or just using it as a vacation rental! I wonder, and this might be cheating, if you bribed them with some owl goodies just below the chalet, if that would help them decide to stay? I’m thinking a mouse in a box that it cannot jump out of. Do they need to swoop down to catch their prey, or can they “gently” pick it up?
You are a good and caring auntie and I love the updates! ❤️🦉🦉