This female Eastern Screech Owl stood duty in a Poplar tree as her babies nested in a nearby box. Occasionally she would utter a whistling sigh to let them know she was still there.
Masters of camouflage. This male below is the mate to the female in the first.
The old nesting box was a relic so I build them a new one. Other than the occasional owl spending a day in it, the only nesting has been done by squirrels. The owl below is a day visitor. The light beak is what distinguishes the Eastern from the Western Screech Owl, which has a black beak. This owl doesn’t mind people and will nest in most any yard. I have seen only two pair at the river.
A baby Screech Owl just out of the nesting box.
Another young owl.