I found this eastern screech owl snoozing in the fracture of a tree late one afternoon. Usually after finding a screech owl, I can return from time to time and find it again in the same location. The unfortunate thing is they seem to pick old rotted trees for their homes. Over the years I have gone back to half a dozen screech owl locations (or more) to find the tree had fallen over in a storm or was taken down due to being a hazard.
“If a mysterious trill catches your attention in the night, bear in mind the spooky sound may come from an owl no bigger than a pint glass,” writes the Cornell Lab. “Common east of the Rockies in woods, suburbs and parks, the eastern screech owl is found wherever trees are, and they’re even willing to nest in backyard nest boxes.”
The Cornell Lab continues, “These supremely camouflaged birds hide out in nooks and tree crannies through the day, so train your ears and listen for them at night.”
The Marblehead Current is proud to partner with photographer Rick Cuzner. For the past 15 years, he has taken thousands of nature photographs that capture the wild animals who call Marblehead home.
Rick Cuzner
