The red-phase owl is learning about the nest box.

While I am still not sure which owl is the male and which is the female, one thing is clear.  The gray-phase owl (I am going to call it Gray--perhaps in honor of one of my longest followers, Grey) clearly has been around the nest box before and is "wooing" the red-phase.  Every other year for 8 years now, the female was a gray phase owl.  Last year, both were.  In 2011, I called the male a red-phase but he was really much more a brown-phase (see photo in Sibley, Field Guide to the Birds).  The red-phase (hereafter called, you guessed it, Red!) owl is an incredibly beautiful rufous-red.  I hope to be able to share a photo sometime soon but it is very shy.  Now I will shut up and let you see a video clip from yesterday morning and let you help decide which is the male and which is the female--not until we have eggs will be know for sure.