Tawny Owls and nestboxes

[helenol]

Couple of questions.

Given that I live in woodland, would it be worth putting up some nestboxes for tawny's? Woodland is mixed beech.

Secondly, if I did put up some nestboxes, what are the chances the tawny owls would use them?

Thanks.

[helenol]

Anyone?

[helenol]

Sorry to keep bringing this up, but is there someone who could advise whether or not it would be worth putting up nest boxes.:h?:

[Jos Stratford]

Hi again,
All boxes are a gamble, but one up has a better chance of being occupied than if no box is up ...obviously :)

Tawny Owls seem sometimes a little choosy and it is suggested maybe you put two boxes up in the woodland - a large 'conventional' box and an open-ended barrel box. If the owls don't take up residency,always a possibility of Jackdaw, Mallard or something else. If you need suggested dimensions for the box, let me know, but you probably know this :)

[helenol]

Hallelujah! At last, someone replied.

Thanks for that Jos. As a matter of fact, I don't know the dimensions, but I would probably purchase a couple rather than attempt a botch job of making my own. A mallard? In woodlands?

Regards

[Jos Stratford]

Hallelujah! At last, someone replied.

Thanks for that Jos. As a matter of fact, I don't know the dimensions, but I would probably purchase a couple rather than attempt a botch job of making my own. A mallard? In woodlands?

Regards

Don't be too surprised if you get a Mallard if there's water relatively near - I remember when I was a youthful ringer in the UK (now slightly less youthful ringer not in the UK) and used to spend half the spring looking for Tawny Owl nests - very often found Mallard in the sites (one natural site alternated year on year between the two species). Admittedly most were very near water, but occasionally in woodland copses near rivers, I would find a Mallard.

When you see the price of the big specialist boxes in the UK, you might want to consider doing a 'botch' job yourself :) Seriously though, it's not easy to do a botch job, because dimensions at best only need to be approximate and obviously natural sites vary very much. If you can get hold of an old wooden beer barrel, these also make good boxes ...when empty :)

[John N]

Hi Helen. The Rangers put up 3 owl boxes on my local patch. The only info I know for sure is 1 nest box was taken over by Squirrels, 1 by Stock doves, but Tawny owls laid two eggs in the other box, only for that to be deserted and Stock doves built and laid on the top of the owl eggs. The owl eggs contained dead chicks nearly ready to hatch. Not a very pleasant tale but at least it means that Tawny owls will lay in boxes. I hope you have better luck with your boxes than we have so far had. Good luck John.

[Jos Stratford]

The Rangers put up 3 owl boxes on my local patch. ... 1 nest box was taken over by Squirrels, 1 by Stock doves, but Tawny owls laid two eggs in the other box, only for that to be deserted and Stock doves built and laid on the top of the owl eggs. I hope you have better luck with your boxes than we have so far had.

Hey, that's not such bad luck :) I'd like some Stock Doves in my boxes and the very fact that Tawnies have taken an interest bodes well for next year.

[simon]

Couple of questions.

Given that I live in woodland, would it be worth putting up some nestboxes for tawny's? Woodland is mixed beech.

Secondly, if I did put up some nestboxes, what are the chances the tawny owls would use them?

Thanks.


Hi Helen
The answer is yes do it, especially if you have heard Tawnys in the woods. I have two horsechestnut trees in our pocket hanki back garden both just 4 metres from the kitchen window put a tawny box up last winter and had the pleasure of watching a young owl fledge this spring ! How lucky can you get?
If you don't try you definitely won't get them. If you do if possible locate one so you can see it from a window then you may get some lovelly views as the young peer over the top before leaving the box, even as balls of fluff they can be very difficult to see once they disappear into the trees :bounce:

[helenol]

Thanks Jos, I'll keep that in mind - good excuse to buy a barrel of beer ;)

John, I hope you have better luck in the future on your local patch.

Simon, that is fantastic news. Good on you! I hear tawnys almost every night, and very very close by. Having said that, last night there was a Little Owl yapping away for ages!

Regards

[pauco]

Helen, Kestrel's also like a nest box, a nice open front, and you might just tempt one, worth a try?
bert.

[helenol]

I guess it is worth a try. Thanks for the bert.

[alcedo.atthis]

"Sorry to keep bringing this up, but is there someone who could advise whether or not it would be worth putting up nest boxes."

Hi Helen, for some unfortunate reason, I have missed your post re the boxes until now.
The Grampian Ringing Group has one person who specalised in Owls, especially Tawnies.
There is an estate West of Aberdeen, which holds the highest concentration of his boxes. They, the boxes, that is, are very sucessfull.
As Bert mentioned, Kestrels like the Tawny boxes also. There have been half eaten Kestrels found in the boxes up here. (Kestrel pops it's head in to see what was what. Sitting Tawny, the hooligan of the forest, grabs Kestrel, you ain't nesting in here, space taken, and as added bonus, eats it, Kes' that is. Pizza home delivery ain't got a look in.)
If you do put up boxes for them, be very carefull on approach during the nesting season.
Many a ringer has the marks of Tawny talons in their backs.

Are you making your own, or are you buying built ones.

Looking back a bit, date, 1996, 32 nest boxes had breeding birds in them on the estate previously mentioned.
In 1998, 113 nest-boxes were occupied by Tawnies, including birds outwith the estate study area.
In 2000, 95 nest-boxes were occupied by Tawnies, including birds outwith the estate study area.

Regards

Malky.

[helenol]

Blimey Malky, that's great news. I'll have to see what these things cost, to purchase.
I can hear the owls now, as I type! There is someone coming over within the next month or so, to prune some trees etc. He is very knowledgeable regarding owls and their nesting habits, so I'll have a word with him, see what he says about box location and such like. Hopefully he'll say on the edge of the wood is a good spot to place the boxes, that way I'll be able to see them ;)

Thanks again.

[chris3871]

Thanks Jos, I'll keep that in mind - good excuse to buy a barrel of beer ;)

John, I hope you have better luck in the future on your local patch.

Simon, that is fantastic news. Good on you! I hear tawnys almost every night, and very very close by. Having said that, last night there was a Little Owl yapping away for ages!

Regards

Why not try a little owl box as well, then?
I think they use tunnel boxes suspended on the underside of a branch. I might try one myself, saw a little owl here yesterday. We used to see them all the time, but they disappeared. Now they're back it'd be worth investing in a little owl box. (or better still building one.)

[robinm]

Hi Helen,

I found this web site - might be of interest http://www.birdtables.com/nestbox_tawny-nb11.htm

[leopard]

If going for a tawny box, go for the barrelled shape tunnel version (8x8x30ins). The most important thing is to get the angle right. It must be quite steep. Certainly less than 45 degrees to the vertical and probably nearer 15-20.

I have had success this year. The good thing about young tawnies is that they spend the first 2-3 months after leaving the box in the same wood, generally making a squeaking noise at dusk waiting to be fed!

Hope you get some.

[helenol]

Thanks for the link Robin.

Leopard, thanks for the advice. There already a few owls in the woods, judging by all the noise that goes on out there at night :D:

[helenol]

Well, the box has now been erected. Just by chance, right below the tree where the box is, we came across a breast feather of a tawny owl! Here's hoping it will be used.

[simon]

Good luck Hope you get the same results as i did

:bounce: Simon

[Jos Stratford]

Hi Helen,

It's up ...congratulations! Did you make it or buy it? If latter, care to share the secret of the price? :)

[helenol]

Great stuff Simon. Thanks.

Hiya Jos, I had someone put it up in the woods. I paid £40 for the box and for him to place it in the tree. It's pretty high up, and God knows how I would have got up there. Anyway, the guy seems to be pretty confident it will be used; he's a very knowledgeable local chap who is involved in various bird projects etc., and who is also a qualified tree surgeon. I don't mind paying for local "knowledge", so to speak.

[Jos Stratford]

Prob not a bad idea to use a treee surgeon...I had a close shave with a chainsaw over the weekend and now have nice plastercast on my thumb, serving as a fashion accessory to a stitched up thumb! :) Next weekend have to somehow put up put up an old pine tree-trunk with wooden wheel on top - should keep the local White Storks happy in the spring!

[helenol]

Ah yes, the good 'ol chainsaw. As I said, I'd much rather pay someone who's local, has a wide knowledge of the local area and the local birds etc.

[salty]

hope your succesful helenol! you seem to be knee deep in birds and wildlife allready!, wonder how long it takes the RSPB to recognise your garden as its next reserve!!! - regards salty.

[Pertinax]

I live on the edge of a town but their aren't any woods nearby. I remember years ago owls calling out. Whether they were nesting I don't know they seemed to come back here year after year. But would there be anypoint in putting up a box for an owl since I live in a less than ideal area?

[helenol]

Hello Pertinax - Do you have any large trees nearby? I would say it's always worth a try, you never know! Good luck.

[Pertinax]

Yeah theres lots of mature trees in the gardens around here. Though the only big trees in my garden are red ceders. Actually now I think of it there is a little woodland ajoined to one of the gardens on my street. So I think I'll give it a go, it isn't going to do any damage!

[owl lover]

how did u no that they where tawny owls did u also here some sharo noises that go like a kewick noise. that noise is a tawny owl. o:)

[helenol]

Yeah theres lots of mature trees in the gardens around here. Though the only big trees in my garden are red ceders. Actually now I think of it there is a little woodland ajoined to one of the gardens on my street. So I think I'll give it a go, it isn't going to do any damage!
Great stuff. You've nothing to lose. Let us know how you get on...

[Jos Stratford]

Probably showing my ignorance regarding Ireland, but I somehow have got the idea that, along with woodpeckers, your little island doesn't have one of the owl species ...and I kind of got the idea it was the Tawny absent! If my knowledge is not seriously dented, then that would be a good reason why you would know they were not Tawnies (post 29)!
I wait to be corrected :)

[Pertinax]

Mayhaps I was halucinating, no I didn't think it was a tawny and It couldn't of been because there aren't any in ireland. Unless it was a long eared owl or else it was someone playing a recording who liked owls.