Hole Hopping Owls! 11/12/2023

It is that time of year when Eastern Screech Owls hop from hole to hole. They are not establishing territories, finding a mate, or raising young so they seem to just pick the most convenient spot after a night of hunting. This particular location just south of Boston, has so many convenient roosts, that I always have to check a few to find the owls. A week ago, there was a gray morph in a popular hole about fifty feet up in the tree, and then a few days ago there was a rufous morph in the same hole. Today, even though the sun was shining right on it, the hole was empty, and I even went back to check an hour later. Nothing. I even checked the two other places where I have seen them, but all were empty. I didn't feel slighted, however, as four Brown Creepers kept me entertained, and it was a perfect cold and crisp day for a walk. This made it well worth the drive. As I was heading down a different path, I saw a broken branch in the sun about 50-60 feet up and, although I couldn't see anything by eye, I took a quick look with my binoculars, and found a rufous morph enjoying a nap. Bonus! This bird was likely the same one as seen a few days ago since the two holes are pretty close together. I doubt many others have spotted this owl as it was well off the trail and not visible by eye, but I did share the location with a young birder that was looking for owls who had moved here from the Netherlands. A new owl roost, an owl, a creeper, and a new birding friend. What better way to spend a day!