Although it was still below freezing, the winds had died down making this evening feel warmer.  The squirrels behaved tonight and the female came out before the male arrived.  When he arrived, he flew to the ground but didn’t appear to catch anything.

The couple copulated and the male left.  The female continued to call, and at some point the male returned.  After about an hour, we lost track of both of them.

Tonight, due to a pesky squirrel, the owls only got to sing to each other. 

The cavity the female has been using this week is also used by squirrels at different times of the year.  Since she’s been using this cavity, she has extended her normal fly out time by about thirty minutes.  We’ve been postulating what has been causing the extended fly out times: pre-nesting behavior, the cold weather and high winds or the squirrels.  Tonight we learned that squirrels are definitely part of the equation.

The male arrived before the female flew out, called to her, but she only called back.  Tonight, a squirrel ran down the branch the cavity is in and looked inside.  I think this caused the female to stay put and guard the cavity.  (On past nights, she has waited until the squirrels in the adjoining tree quieted down before flying out.)

Somehow the male understood and went about his business, flying as he normally does south across the North Meadow.

Only after the squirrels were safely asleep, did the female emerge from the cavity.  She flew out quickly but spent about an hour outside the cavity before returning inside.

Just like the last few nights, she’s using the same cavity, flies out, copulates, he flies away and she goes back to her cavity.  

I experimented with some movies tonight.  They aren’t visible in the second segment, but you can hear them copulating.

The male waited patiently for his mate to fly out this evening.  Once she left her cavity, they quickly copulated and the male when off across the North Meadow.

The female then stayed near her cavity calling for about 10 minutes before flying off.

Male on scene as I arrive, female in cavity.  Both fly to nearby tree and copulate.  Male flies south just like the last few nights.  Female calls and then disappears (back into the cavity or somewhere else?).

Tonight was much less exciting than last night.  Only a brief copulation and the female went back to bed!   (I think she returned to her roost due to the cold rather than an early nesting period.)  I then waited for over an hour in the cold. Her mate never returned and she stayed inside her cavity.  

It was dark enough tonight that focusing my camera was difficult.  Included below are some blurry pictures of the male.