Merry Early Christmas, Owl.

He (she?) is getting a fancy new nesting box courtesy of my dad - I've just printed off the directions and that's his new project. I've been reading a few different sites and apparently they like owl houses, so we are going to try to convince it to stay.

It appears that it is an Eastern Screech Owl - they are very common here and lots of other places too:

The Eastern Screech-Owl is the most common owl in Houston. Very small (8" - 9"), it has two color morphs: gray and red, with gray being the most common. Screech-Owls mainly eat insects, but also like to hunt for small fish and frogs.

They are relatively tame and curious, and have been known to follow evening strollers out of curiosity. They readily accept an owl house. Screech-Owls are best seen in the early evening or pre-dawn hours. Their call is long, descending quavering whinny. A second call is a long, low trill.

Merry Christmas, Owl!