After disappearing abruptly last spring, my backyard owl returned a few weeks ago. Despite being mobbed daily by screaming blue jays, the owl has held its ground. Last night's snow flurries didn't seem to faze this little beauty.

The backyard owl seems to be changing up its routine lately. It pops up on its perch every now and then throughout the day. I was surprised to see it on its perch early this morning. It was the first sunny day in a while, so I'm thinking it was just catching some rays. With this photo, I got close enough to see the beautifully intricate patterns in its feathers.

My backyard owl's routine is shaping up as follows: hunt all night, sleep until 5 p.m., then hang out on the front porch until sundown. I'm amazed at how unfazed the owl is by my presence. Even though it appears to be half-asleep, it clearly watches every move I make. I can see its head move as I move around the yard. Yesterday, while it was lounging on its perch, my neighbor had some sort of major project going on - complete with Bobcat machinery - but the owl seemed undisturbed. I managed to inch a few feet closer for this photo. I think this owl may enjoy the attention. I just hope this isn't one of those publicity-hungry owls looking to break into reality TV...

When I moved into my home almost four years ago, my first "improvement" was adding an owl house in an old, bug-eaten hackberry tree in the backyard. I downloaded an owl call on my phone and managed to attract a few curious owls with it. But none of them stayed. A squirrel stayed for a while. A couple of woodpeckers checked out the accommodations but found them lacking. Some unknown creature gnawed large gashes into the top of the owl house.

This year, I was seriously considering moving the house to a different tree. Then, after the first freeze, I noticed a bit of white fuzz clinging to the outside of the house. Feathers? No. It's some kind of man-made fluff.

The next day - finally - the little eastern screech-owl appeared, perfectly framed by the door of the owl house. It looked squinty-eyed and sleepy, but it was definitely keeping an eye on my dog, Lucy. The dog sniffed the air at the base of the tree, and then curled up to take a nap. I could see the owl tilting its head downward to look at Lucy, but it must have decided the dog was not a threat.

I had been watching from inside the house but couldn't get a decent photo from that vantage point. I tried inching the door open and - bloop - the owl disappeared. The owl house is designed to mimic a cavity in a tree. They can perch in the doorway and then disappear into the lower part of the house in an instant when threatened.

I waited another day before trying again, and I managed to get one semi-decent photo. I'm hoping I can get a little closer as the owl grows more comfortable in its new home. More photos coming soon...