Suddenly, a shout rang out.* It was me, yelling to no one in particular after looking out my living room and seeing a new gray face sticking its head out of the Screech Owl nesting box.

   Even from 100 feet, I could see it was no owl. It was Public Enemy No. 1.

   That's right, it was an Eastern Gray Squirrel, one of those the furry mischief-makers who -- went they aren't busy raiding bird feeders -- love to evict Eastern Screech Owls from their nesting boxes and then set up house themselves.

   I have heard from many Screech Owl nesting box proprietors over the years, and they have lost more Screech Owl tenants because of squirrels than for any other reason.

   So far I have found only three counter-insurgency methods that seem to work.

   Can you guess what they are?

   To be continued Friday.

  * See comment to Wednesday's post.

    If you happened to see a guy in a red jacket by my Screech Owl nesting box earlier this month, you'll be relieved to know that the guy was not a wacko but rather a trained nesting-box camera installer, better known as (the legendary) Mike From Philly.

   Mike installed the first mini microphone and mini infrared video cam for the neighborhood Screechers more than three years ago, and the elements finally got to them.

   When the cam and mike crapped out early last fall, I asked the MFP to do a new installation (left). Everything works great.

   And yes, we removed the lens cap.

   Click "Continue reading..."  for more owl cam info.