Owl nestboxes in Tromsø: first spring check!

It’s that time of year when owls might be starting to nest! We’ve just returned from inspecting some of our nestboxes, checking their condition and looking for the first signs of occupancy. Every finding counts, as part of a large-scale monitoring project involving over 500 nest boxes across Troms County. The season has begun!

Rissa's volunteers (minus one taking the photo) during the first nest check of the 2025 season.

It is 4pm on Tuesday the 6th of May when we (Amy, Delphin, Leo, Phil, Roel and Yada) meet at a bus stop in Tromsdalen. Our mission today: find nestboxes deployed in the forest, and check the inside with the hope that an owl has made it its home.

The nest boxes are placed well off the main trails to give the owls the quiet and privacy they need, so we relied on GPS to guide us to the right spots. The terrain is steep, with soft snow that’s still deep in places, while it has already melted away around the trees and along the creeks.

Leo and Amy having a good time crossing creeks and climbing over walls of soft snow.

Spring has truly arrived! Just days ago, the forest burst to life as flocks of birds returned, filling the air with their full-throated songs. Redwings, fieldfares, greenfinches, dunnocks, and redpolls now reign over the treetops. On the snow below, a maze of tracks reveals the quiet activity of mountain hares, with willow grouse, stoats, and foxes also leaving their marks. This forest isn’t just a skier’s playground, it’s a thriving home for countless wild creatures.

Leo snowshoeing for the second time in her life, and rocketing through the forest.

Incubation is a risky business for owls, and for birds in general. Sitting on their eggs makes them an easy target for predators, and they know it. That’s why we keep things as stress-free as possible, using a no-fuss method to peek inside the nest boxes: a quick photo snapped by a phone on a remote trigger.

This time around, we use 2.5 hours to find five boxes and didn’t spot any owls… yet. But we’re not giving up! There are still a few boxes to check in Tromsdalen, and over 500 more in the region. It’s only a matter of time before we cross paths with one of the most secretive birds in the Arctic.

Do you want to join the next adventure?

Keep an eye on Rissa’s event page and grab your spot for the next outing. It’s free, and we’ve got snowshoes you can borrow if you need them. Just don’t wait too long: registration closes after the first 5 sign-ups!