Sweet fly-out last night

West Drive male just before fly-out - 2/ 22/06
photo by Bruce Yolton

The fact that the female screech owl is flying out regularly every night makes the owl-watchers conclude that it is unlikely there are already eggs in the nest. Indeed, the beginning of regular song and conversation between the two owls makes it appear that they are now in the courtship and romance stage. That should be followed by egg-laying and incubation in a few weeks. Here is Jean's report of last night's fly-out. An excellent description of the events of the previous night are on Bruce's website [http://urbanhawks.blogs.com/].

Marie -

Very sweet flyout tonight - (he went at 5:52, she 10 minutes later) - some moving around from here to there in usual area, sometimes in adjacent trees; then she called and called; finally he responded: pair, together, 4 inches apart on one branch - only for a few seconds, then he took off north and she headed west over the wall.

The calling is so sweet, gentle - just hauntingly beautiful: who named these creatures SCREECH Owls???? What an idiot.

Nice crew there to watch: Bruce, Lee, Noreen, Kathy on a bike who stopped on her way home (she was entranced, and will come again, I'm sure).

Jean Dane