Hi Bill, I have been watching these birds(little owl) for over seven years ,only really decided to start attempting to photograph them a few years ago, the birds keep the territory all year long and share the same area ,problem is they have never used the same nest from a previous year (mine have not ) ,food availability ,weather, etc always plays a part in to were they pick the nest, the male after the first mating session will fly to a possible nest site but in the end the female always decides which one to use ,to be honest Bill I got more shots last year in the territory rather than near the nest ,which I did know were it was, i declined in going near it for shots ,people will vouch for this who know me on here ,maybe it wouldn't have done any harm it was just a personal choice on my part...they are hardy little birds and full of character and I would also add they can be very addictive to watch, I got some video footage tonight for a change ,if you get the chance to watch them near by you wont be disappointed with their antics and you can get hooked on them pretty quick
Little owl 19th by den9112, on Flickr