Stop 12 - Silver Maple and Screech Owl Nest Box Silver maples are naturally found along streams and their flood plains. One food source is the winged seeds of the silver maple. The spinning seeds of the silver maple are produced in the early spring. Silver maples are adapted to moist soil and can tolerate periodic flood conditions. The artificial nest box was placed here in an attempt to attract a Screech owl to it.
Screech owls are relatively small owls that adapt well to small forests.
They have a varied diet of small animals such as mice and also eat insects. They usually nest in cavities of dead or dying trees. Other wildlife such as starlings or squirrels also may use this box for nesting or in seeking shelter. Floodplain Area Floodplains have distinctive vegetation which usually tolerate moist soils and their roots are adapted to periodical flooding which lowers the available oxygen in the soil. Common floodplain plants found here and along the stream are red maple, American elm, silver maple, spicebush, and silky dogwood.