I’ve been busy with work since getting back from Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, and haven’t done much birding in the last two weeks.

Today, I spend an hour in the North Woods.  It was just the right amount of time in the heat.  The wildflower meadow was quiet, without a fall migrant in sight.  The same for The Loch, lots of American Robins and Gray Catbirds, but nothing unusual.

So, the highlight of the day was a photogenic Monarch Butterfly and the North Wood’s Red-phased Eastern Screech-Owl.

The North Woods Eastern Screech-Owl pair was briefly seen last night.  Both owls look great. 

While we were watching them a photographer with a flashlight and high-powered flash was also in the North Woods looking for owls.  I must recommend to anyone who wants to study owls in the North Woods, that this is not an effective approach to finding them or photographing them.

To watch owls in Central Park and really get to know them, and you have to be as non-intrusive as possible.  If you’re quiet, keep your distance, move slowly, photograph without flash and take the time to learn their habits, these owls will share their lives with you.

Five Eastern Screech-Owl were released in Central Park by the wildlife rehabilitor, Bobby Horvath and his family on Saturday. 

The Red-phased owl Bobby released last year is doing very well in the North Woods, so Bobby was comfortable releasing more owls into Central Park.  Central Park may have its risks, but it lacks Great-Horned Owls which are becoming a major predator of Eastern Screech-Owls on Long Island where Bobby lives.

Two adult Red-phased owls were released and three young Gray-phased owls.  Thanks for your loving gift to the park, Cathy and Bobby.

The first pictures are right after the release.  The later pictures are of one of the gray owls after dark (long exposures without flash).

We had a nice time watching two Eastern Screech-Owls wake up tonight for about 30 minutes.   Unfortunately, they gave us the slip at fly out by flying into dense cover.  But it was nice to see that they were both healthy.

Tonight with Caroline’s help, we got to see a rare summer glimpse of the Eastern Screech-Owl pair we had studied this winter and spring.  The pair, which has an older female and a young male, certainly seems to have bonded.  They engaged in head rubbing activity as part of their wake up activities this evening.

The pair was mobbed by American Robins, which allowed us to keep track of them after fly out.  As night fell, and the Robins went to sleep, we were able to watch one of the owls bathe.  Watching an Eastern Screech-Owl bathe is one of the hardest behaviors to observe, so all of us left the park with smiles on our faces.

After not seeing them for days, I found both of them.  They were very active in the warm weather and I quickly lost them.  Not sure if they are nesting or not.  I only saw them for a few minutes, which was enough time for a nest break.