We've got (had?) an owl!

This is a picture of Howland, our latest visitor to our Avery.

Howland is a gray Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) and he has taken up residence in our Owl House (or maybe not; more about that later).

I knew the housing market was bad, but we've had a "For Rent" sign on that house for more than a year and a half. We had pretty much given up hope that we would ever have a resident in our little house - then the other day I looked out and there was an owl!

I say he - Howland may be a Howletta. It's hard to tell unless you can see one of each side by side (lady owls are larger). He or she sleeps all day down in the cozy confines of the house and comes out of an evening and perches in the opening to survey his kingdom until it gets dark, and then it's off to rid the world of rodents and other critters (like unsuspecting Finches, we suspect).

He's very camera shy (more support for the lady owl theory?) and won't let us get terribly close to take a picture, though he was OK with Luke and Grace standing at the base of the tree, looking up at him. Once we step off the patio, however, he ducks down in his nest.

The good news is that we don't have to buy feed for the owl - unlike the Finches, who can devour a sock of seed in 2 days. The bad news is that we haven't seen Howland in a few days. Did he find a nicer apartment? Was he just passing through? Has he already moved to a cool branch now that the cold days are past and it is unseasonably warm here in Austin?

I guess only time will tell. Oh, and extra points if you can tell me who the original Howland was - without Googling it.