Quiet Winter

There has been very little owl activity around the nest box for the last two months. The owls made only three nest inspection visits in January and February of this year, as compared to twenty eight visits in the same period last year. The most recent visit occurred on February 19th, when an owl issued the "hwu-hwu" call, but did not enter the nest box. I do not take this lack of activity as a conclusive indication that they will not nest this year, but am reminded that nothing is guaranteed in the life of an owl. They face many hazards and variations in their environments that can force a particular pair to skip a nesting season. If activity does not pick up substantially by the end of March, it will be a strong indication that they will not nest this year. I will continue to monitor the nest box and report any significant increase in activity.

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