I've had Barred Owls nesting in an old Beech tree in my backyard every year since 2003 and I'm thrilled to see that they are back again this year! Here is a picture of Mama Owl sitting in the nest.

There was once a very large limb that broke from this tree and eventually it developed into this large cavity. You can still see some of the limb at the top of the nest site. That area of the tree has really deteriorated over the last few years and I worry that it will soon be too open for the owls to continue to nest there. The tree is slowly dying and is losing limbs every year. Many sections of the tree have holes in it made by Pileated Woodpeckers. Squirrels and birds fly into one hole and out another hole in another section of the tree. Definitely hollow spaces in there.

I've been contemplating making a nest box and mounting up that tree in that nest area for next year. I'm just not sure what to do. I've watched them nest there every year since 2003 and I would truly miss them. I want to offer a nest box but at the same time I don't want to spook them away from the site they have used for so long.

Here is an image from 2003 when the young were leaving the nest and the tree is full of foliage.

See ya over there! :)

THIS THREAD IS CLOSING