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Photo Phriday 38 #7566205
04/22/22 08:31 AM
04/22/22 08:31 AM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
G
Gulo Offline OP
"On The Other Hand"
Gulo  Offline OP
"On The Other Hand"
G

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
Right now is early nesting season for the Boreal Owls in Interior Alaska. This series of photos takes us through the 2-month-long period from laying eggs to fledging the owlets. Trying to understand the biology of these medium-sized owls, I had a couple hundred nest boxes out for over 20 years. I hope you enjoy the photos. The tops are taken off the boxes and the photos are taken straight-down into the nest box. The boxes are usually hung 12-20 feet up in trees.

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Jack


Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7566210
04/22/22 08:34 AM
04/22/22 08:34 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,661
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline

trapper
330-Trapper  Offline

trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,661
Minnesota
Awesome Beautiful shots


NRA and NTA Life Member
www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com




Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7566219
04/22/22 08:39 AM
04/22/22 08:39 AM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 870
Northern WI
L
Line Jumper Offline
trapper
Line Jumper  Offline
trapper
L

Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 870
Northern WI
Cool pictures, talk about stacking the prey up. You would think it would get pretty rank in that nest box.

Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Line Jumper] #7566231
04/22/22 08:48 AM
04/22/22 08:48 AM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
G
Gulo Offline OP
"On The Other Hand"
Gulo  Offline OP
"On The Other Hand"
G

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
Originally Posted by Line Jumper
Cool pictures, talk about stacking the prey up. You would think it would get pretty rank in that nest box.



The adult female basically sits in the box for 1.5 months. She leaves the box for a couple minutes each day to cast and defecate. The male, on the other hand, is busy hunting for himself, for the female, and for the youngsters. He's a busy boy. Before hatching, he generally supplies more than can be consumed, so yes, the prey stacks up in the box and does sometimes get a bit rank. By the time to oldest chick is a week or ten days old, however, most of the prey is usually consumed. That relatively short period with stacked up prey is generally when the nest cavities are "discovered" by predators. I've documented predation of the owlets by marten, lynx, and black bears.

Jack


Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7566248
04/22/22 08:55 AM
04/22/22 08:55 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,661
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline

trapper
330-Trapper  Offline

trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,661
Minnesota
Originally Posted by Gulo
Originally Posted by Line Jumper
Cool pictures, talk about stacking the prey up. You would think it would get pretty rank in that nest box.



The adult female basically sits in the box for 1.5 months. She leaves the box for a couple minutes each day to cast and defecate. The male, on the other hand, is busy hunting for himself, for the female, and for the youngsters. He's a busy boy. Before hatching, he generally supplies more than can be consumed, so yes, the prey stacks up in the box and does sometimes get a bit rank. By the time to oldest chick is a week or ten days old, however, most of the prey is usually consumed. That relatively short period with stacked up prey is generally when the nest cavities are "discovered" by predators. I've documented predation of the owlets by marten, lynx, and black bears.

Jack

Super interesting stuff


NRA and NTA Life Member
www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com




Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7566283
04/22/22 09:26 AM
04/22/22 09:26 AM
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,180
Priest River, Idaho USA
S
SundanceMtnMan Offline
trapper
SundanceMtnMan  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,180
Priest River, Idaho USA
Nice photos Jack and interesting info.
Thanks


"They Say Nothing is Impossible,
But, I Do Nothing Every Day."
Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7566286
04/22/22 09:30 AM
04/22/22 09:30 AM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,366
east central WI
K
k snow Offline
trapper
k snow  Offline
trapper
K

Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,366
east central WI
Heres a nest box pic from our backyard last year

[Linked Image]

Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7566289
04/22/22 09:32 AM
04/22/22 09:32 AM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 870
Northern WI
L
Line Jumper Offline
trapper
Line Jumper  Offline
trapper
L

Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 870
Northern WI
Originally Posted by Gulo
Originally Posted by Line Jumper
Cool pictures, talk about stacking the prey up. You would think it would get pretty rank in that nest box.



The adult female basically sits in the box for 1.5 months. She leaves the box for a couple minutes each day to cast and defecate. The male, on the other hand, is busy hunting for himself, for the female, and for the youngsters. He's a busy boy. Before hatching, he generally supplies more than can be consumed, so yes, the prey stacks up in the box and does sometimes get a bit rank. By the time to oldest chick is a week or ten days old, however, most of the prey is usually consumed. That relatively short period with stacked up prey is generally when the nest cavities are "discovered" by predators. I've documented predation of the owlets by marten, lynx, and black bears.

Jack


Thanks for feedback Jack

Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7566339
04/22/22 10:25 AM
04/22/22 10:25 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,005
Oregon
beaverpeeler Offline
trapper
beaverpeeler  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,005
Oregon
Great pics! Very interesting.


My fear of moving stairs is escalating!
Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7566481
04/22/22 01:55 PM
04/22/22 01:55 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon Offline
"American Honey"
Sharon  Offline
"American Honey"

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Wonderful shots, Jack. Always love reading and seeing your research and observations, in your eyes, expressed.

That last shot of that youngster is so cute grin

Thank you for sharing.

Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7566507
04/22/22 02:20 PM
04/22/22 02:20 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Moved to Fbks, Ak.
M
martentrapper Offline
trapper
martentrapper  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Moved to Fbks, Ak.
Nice pics. Informative. Looks like the first pic those are all red backs? Was this study around McGrath?
My first years of marten trapping along the lower Nowitna were all ground cubby sets. Probably caught 3-4 boreals a year plus an occasional gray. We called the boreals "hawk owls". Made gray owl soup once. Wasn't that good.
The owlets leave the nest before they can fly?
Owl numbers must rise and fall with vole numbers, like marten?

Last edited by martentrapper; 04/22/22 02:22 PM.
Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7566596
04/22/22 05:14 PM
04/22/22 05:14 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
B
Boco Offline
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Boco  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
Great pics and info Gulo.


Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: martentrapper] #7567306
04/23/22 10:26 AM
04/23/22 10:26 AM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
G
Gulo Offline OP
"On The Other Hand"
Gulo  Offline OP
"On The Other Hand"
G

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
Originally Posted by martentrapper
Nice pics. Informative. Looks like the first pic those are all red backs? Was this study around McGrath?
My first years of marten trapping along the lower Nowitna were all ground cubby sets. Probably caught 3-4 boreals a year plus an occasional gray. We called the boreals "hawk owls". Made gray owl soup once. Wasn't that good.
The owlets leave the nest before they can fly?
Owl numbers must rise and fall with vole numbers, like marten?



Yeah, I think all are red-backs with the exception of one that is a root vole.

I had study boxes around Glennallen in the early 80s, then a couple hundred around McGrath from late 80s to late 90s. Then a couple hundred more boxes around Fairbanks (Steese, Elliot, Standard Creek, Etc.) from 2003 to 2008.

Yes, the owlets generally leave the box a couple days before they can actually fly. They're called "branchers".

I think yes, the annual production of owlets largely depends on vole numbers. Like the marten production in the interior, the owls subsist mainly on red-backs, although other species (root voles, singing voles, meadow voles, yellow-cheeked voles) are taken as well.


Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7567408
04/23/22 12:22 PM
04/23/22 12:22 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 683
SD
T
Tray Offline
"Wilson Jr."
Tray  Offline
"Wilson Jr."
T

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 683
SD
Those are awesome pics! Thanks for posting those Jack.

Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7567725
04/23/22 06:49 PM
04/23/22 06:49 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
N
Northof50 Offline
trapper
Northof50  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
I think yes, the annual production of owlets largely depends on vole numbers. Like the marten production in the interior, the owls subsist mainly on red-backs, although other species (root voles, singing voles, meadow voles, yellow-cheeked voles) are taken as well.
found that Red backs are the most vocal but that is only against meadow voles in my area, and the two are in entirely different habitats
Thanks for the updates
Jack; What was your recovery of banded birds or are you not privy to that info ?

Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7567798
04/23/22 07:59 PM
04/23/22 07:59 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
G
Gulo Offline OP
"On The Other Hand"
Gulo  Offline OP
"On The Other Hand"
G

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
Northof50 -

I used my personal Master Banding Permit for all the owl banding, but have since gone inactive on that permit. I should re-activate and request all the return data from the banding lab. During the time I was actively working on owls, I periodically captured birds as adults that I had banded in previous years as fledglings. Also, very infrequently, I captured adult females in subsequent years as breeders in different boxes. As far as returns from "other" sources, I have no data there.

Jack


Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7567889
04/23/22 09:17 PM
04/23/22 09:17 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
N
Northof50 Offline
trapper
Northof50  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
There in the making will be some interesting data present.
When is the next Northern Owl Symposium you may present data ?
That is usually enough to get them Banding Office to do a data search of your records.-stress your age and wanting to put data collected together and presented

Re: Photo Phriday 38 [Re: Gulo] #7568020
04/23/22 11:15 PM
04/23/22 11:15 PM
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 415
SE Idaho
R
Range Offline
trapper
Range  Offline
trapper
R

Joined: May 2009
Posts: 415
SE Idaho
Cool pictures. Have you found any down here? I used to help with some owl surveys over here. There was a boreal we heard in the same area for several years. We would call and it would call back. I have never seen one.

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