Eight inches of cottonwood colored plumage, the Western Screech-Owl is the terror of small creatures. Roosting in river bottoms during the day and terrifying rodents by night, these little owls range from southern Alaska, down the Rocky Mountains, and into Mexico. Although not rare, the screech owl is an elusive bird. 2022 was the last time we succeeded in spotting the owl. From fruitless walks to a known roost in Missoula, to examining every single cavity that we see, finding one has proved difficult. Imagine the excitement I felt when two screech owls stopped by our cabin! From the moment the first owl flew out in front of us, the cabin has been filled with nervous excitement as we keep a watchful eye on the nest box, hoping to see feathery tufts peeking from the hole.
Our screech-owl adventure starts in mid-February, when we hear the soft, bouncy tremolo of a Western Screech-Owl in the nearby pines. We immediately set out with head lamps alight in search of the little raptor, but its fast hoots melt into the distance. Next weekend, we are more prepared. When the owl starts calling, Papa and I walk the road, light in hand, and listen for the screech-owl’s call. HOO-Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo. There! The hoots fade into silence, right next to the cabin. We walk over as the screech-owl calls again. HOO-Oo-oo-oo-oo-oooo. Papa scans the shadow-filled trees with the light, looking for any hint of the owl. A movement in the crown of a Ponderosa makes both of us look up. The male Western Screech-Owl leans forward and hoots again. Suddenly, another owl glides out of the darkness and lands nearby. The male owl flies down and lets out a squeal as he mates with the new arrival. Together, they disappear into the dark forest. Four years of searching and two just flew up in front of us!
If the Western-screech Owls were mating, they must be in search of a nest or had already found one. The next day, we scour the ground for pellets, and try to remember if any cavities had formed in nearby trees. Once we reach the conclusion that cavities are few and far between, building a screech-owl nesting box becomes the family’s one and only goal. So begins a day of wood-cutting, tape-measuring, article-reading, and house-assembling. By late afternoon, the box is completed and placed on the stairs to the attic, ready to be taken to Rock Creek. The following weekend, Papa is 10 feet off the ground drilling the owl nest onto a tree as I hold the ladder with my foot. He pours a few inches of sawdust into the box and descends the ladder. “I just hope an owl will live there in the next twenty years.” He says, handing me the bucket of sawdust. Turns out, we didn’t have to wait long.
Over a month has passed since a screech owl has shown any sign of itself. Neighbors have heard it, so we haven’t lost hope for an owl family in 2026. It’s eleven at night, the weekend before my birthday, and I am just about to fall asleep when Papa comes in, floorboards squeaking. “It’s there!” He quietly exclaims. I climb out of bed, groping in the dark for my glasses. Pausing near the door, I try finding my shoes in the dark, but slip on the first pair of shoes I see, which turn out to be way too big. Upon opening the door, the chilly night air sends tiny spears of cold through my pajamas, and I shiver. Mom, Papa, Charlie, and Rachel are already at the nest box, laughing and talking. The cedar wood reflects the beam of our spotlight, glowing in the pitch-black forest. Two eyes gleam in the entrance hole, and below them, a beak clutches the head of a mouse. A male Western Screech-Owl will deliver food to the female throughout the night, so we likely spotted the owl just after dinner was exchanged. The owl tugs the mouse a little farther into its hole, and I turn back to the cabin, heart thumping, hoping we will see owlets in the upcoming year.
The coming weeks will be filled with bated breath, as we watch the Western Screech-Owls leave each evening and fill the evening air with their tremolos. Did they lay eggs? Will they hatch? Will our cabin host a screech owl family in 2026?
Missoula Bird Nerds 
I really enjoyed reading your post and could tell from your writing how excited you are to have a owl nesting at your cabin. I look forward to hearing more about the life of a Screech Owl at Dottie’s cabin. Good job Papa.
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