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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2016)
Applegater Winter 2016 11 BIRD EXPLORER Woodpecker holes and owls BY PETER J. THIEMANN Peter J. Thiemann In my Bird Explorer column, I have talked about the importance of woodpecker cavities in tree snags as nesting places for owls. Owls need woodpecker cavities for nesting, storing extra food (caching), and sleeping or roosting. Owls do not build their own nests—they depend on rotting dead tree snags. But these snags take a long time to become nesting cavities because wood only so much space in the entrance hole. One evening I thought I could see two young in the same snag hole, but it was dark and there was not enough light for a photo. In A s h l a n d’s Lithia Park, I saw and photographed four young WSOs at the same nest (see Photo, top left: Four young Western Screech Owls (WSOs) in Lithia Park. photo), but the owls Young WSO (above) peeking out of snag hole, and adult WSO (bottom left) on my land in the roosting in woodpecker cavity on the author’s property in the Applegate. Applegate did not cooperate—they has to be softened by fir and left a sizable snag standing, which never let me see how many there were. decay. The structural is ideally suited for woodpeckers to drill Like all owls, WSOs perform integrity of the snag their cavities. A Northern Flicker family a vital role in nature’s balance, and, as has to be maintained did just that and nested in the snag for landowners and guardians of public lands, for it to keep standing, several seasons. we can encourage the owls to continue by Last year and again this year, a following these recommendations: so as some fall, others family of Western Screech Owls (WSO) • Do not remove all dead tree snags. Look have to take over. I l i v e i n a moved into the woodpecker cavity and for woodpecker holes—those cavities can riparian zone along a small creek that raised its young. The telltale signs of owl provide homes for owls. feeds into the Applegate River. This zone occupancy were adult WSOs roosting • Do not use rodent poison and limit the has an abundance of willows, red alders, mornings and evenings with their heads use of pesticides to encourage a healthy big-leaf maples, and some cottonwoods. sticking out of the entrance hole. owl population. In 2015 and again this year, A few Douglas firs have grown near A vibrant forest needs dead trees to the creek, some to impressive heights. young owls showed up peeking out of provide balance and homes for creatures. This species is prone to periodic beetle the hole. Careful observation made it Peter J. Thiemann infestation on my land and some are possible to tell young apart from adults as peterjthiemann@yahoo.com now dead. A windstorm blew off the my photos show. I was curious to see how Photos courtesy of Peter J. Thiemann flickr top two-thirds of a large dead Douglas many young the owls had, but there was photo stream.
