Eastern Screech-Owls

It is not often I get to see an Eastern Screech-owl but during the Spring of 2004 I've been lucky to see three individuals in the New York City area (although the one frequenting the ramble in Central Park, Manhattan is a released bird with still a trace of red dye on its breast feathers). The other two seen in Queens and Westchester counties probably got there on their own and hopefully their presence in such an urban area suggests they can continue to survive among us. All were gray-phase birds.

Forest Park, Queens County, NY - This bird was seen on and off for a few weeks, roosting in a broken limb that had fallen but still held high in the air by another tree. Found by Jean Loscalzo, a Forest Park regular. I have previously seen Screech-owls in Forest Park twice, both times a red-phase bird.
Twin Lakes Park, Westchester County, NY - Mobbing songbirds alerted me to this owl which did its best to imitate a tree stump. These pictures were digiscoped (digital photograph through a spotting scope) so I was not as close to the subjects as these pictures might indicate.