I've always said that no Christmas tree is complete without a Beast ornament. Mine arrived today and immediately perched on an upper branch.

I must confess the other bird ornaments seem a bit nervous.

I got the photographic ornament by Debbie Quick on Zazzle.

Now the tree is complete. I hope the ornament doesn't disappear like its subject.

Last week, I asked how many screech owls were on this Christmas tree in Allendale.

The answer was five. 

At least one more has flown down the chimney since then. Bad case of the flue.

Few if any are real.

As it turns out, the Wright-Finn Christmas Tree has a parliament of owls...

Like most indoor Christmas trees, ours has lots of other cool birds, from Red-shouldered Hawks to Blue-footed Boobies.

If you see leaves in the opening of your owl box, remove them -- but first, whack the owl box with a broomstick (while standing off to the side) to evict any furry lodgers.

Repeat as necessary, until the squirrel gives up. Owls won't nest there if a squirrel has taken up residence.

For more advice, buy The Screech Owl Companion. (It includes plans by my co-authow Scott Weston for a squirrel-resistant owlbox).