How much damage can a 5 inch Screech Owl do in a home??

Wel, we have had quite a few exciting few days...starting at 5:10am Friday with a loud banging coming from the living room...Brian got up to see what it was, then I got up, and we knew there was "something" in the livingroom fireplace...but what "IT" was, we weren't sure...whatever "IT" was, was desperately trying to push the fireplace doors open...so we got the flashlight out and looked in...I was expecting to see one of the many gigantic racoons that we have here, but nooooooo.....what we saw was this little, big-eyed bird...we looked closer and realised that it was a FREAKIN' OWL!!!!! an owl in the house.....what the?? we looked at each other, laughed for a second and then said "oh s_ _ t"..now what do we do?" For startes, not wake the kids at that hour....

I called the Marin Humane Society emergency number...they came over at 5:45am...told us it was a Screech Owl...she tried to get him, and he said "nope, not gonna catch me"..and he jumped up on the flu door opening in the chimney and became unreachable.....

then, he jumped back down about 10mins. later, so back came the Marin Humane Society...we waited, waited, waited...no owl coming out....I was past time for kids to eat, get dressed and to school....so we had to leave the house with the little sucker back up in the chimney again...

I take both girls to school, and I call Anna to tell her I can't make the gym, due to my little "friend" in the house...LUCKY for me, Anna's neighbor works for WildCare, this great organization in San Rafael that helps animals ...so Anna and her neighbor Becky came over, and Becky tried to get the little owl out, but no luck....so she called her ofice and and they have an "extraction specialist" on their staff.....so she came up....and tried and tried and tried and tried for 2hrs. to get this little stubborn, naughty owl out of my fireplace....we had to dismantle the gas fireplace, take the doors off the fireplace, even had a person inside my fireplace up into the chimney trying to get this little 5 inch bird OUT!!!

here is Becky (in the blue shirt) and Jasmine...trying to get our little "friend" out.....

but Jasmine has been defeated by this 5 inch little creature.....he's not coming out.....

we blocked the entrance with a sheet taped to the outside of the fireplace, took the cap off the chimney, hoping maybe the owl would go out the top...so last night we all went to bed...Meigan passed out from pure exhaustion...and Catie was SO worrid about this owl getting out into the house....she finally fell asleep, then at 11:30pm, she was crying out LOUDLY in her bed...I ran into her room, and she was sobbing uncontrollably....I asked her what was wrong, and she said she was too scared to get up and go to the bathroom.....poor bean....so I took her in our room, and she fell asleep with us.....so much for getting a good nights sleep...

This morning, 7:25am, Brian gets up...and comes down into the living room, and all I hear is "oh no"...and I hear Catie come running up the hallway and she jumps on me in the bed and under the covers....I hear Brian chuckling to himself, and he says "hon, we've got a houseguest in the TV Room"....

and here it is.......

so, I called the Humane Society again, and our same wonderful person came back, and caught the little sucker, but not without a fight...he got out the net the first time, flew to the living room, then she got him again, then he escaped again in the kitchen...and finally she got him and put him in the box to keep him safe....he'd had no food or water for over 24hrs...poor little owl......

now, what did he do inside the house????? well, he knocked over picture frames, turned my walls sconces sideways, and turned pictures on the wall in my entry way sideways and upside down....he must have been flying the loop around my house...I'd have loved to see that! All things considered, it could have been much worse...he was really kind to us and didn't do that much damage.....

Then, it was all over and Winnie saves the day!!! here's our favorite Humane Society Emergency Rescue person...she came on Friday morning and tried to get him....and she came back this morning...Catie opened the door and yelled out "Hi Winnie, come quick the owl is in our house"...so cute!

she grabbed the fiesty owl with her hand after his 3rd escape attempt this morning.....then let the girls get right down next to her and see him upclose...they thought it was really cool.....though Catie was hesitant to get too close, Meigan ran right up front fast!

so, here we are at 10:00pm...the fireplace is put back together, picture frames righted, sconces fixed and kids asleep with no worries.....

and we're SOOOOOOOO tired!