Barn Owls 2022

[Daddy Pig]

We didn't have any in our Owl Box last year but looking more hopeful this year.

 

[steveR]

We didn't have any in our Owl Box last year but looking more hopeful this year.

Good news....

Not seen much sign of our breeding birds of late, but once the Owl man has been and weighed and ringed the owlets, we will hopefully have a pleasant surprise again.

 

[TripleSix]

Not seen much lately but I did spot one yesterday morning at 7am hunting a field next to the housing estate

 

[nick...]

Most seemed to have dissapeared round here.my mum found a dead one recently in a shed and it weighed next to nothing.i think they are hungry as I see the odd one feeding during the day.lots of little owls though
nick…

 

[steveR]

Most seemed to have dissapeared round here.my mum found a dead one recently in a shed and it weighed next to nothing.i think they are hungry as I see the odd one feeding during the day.lots of little owls though
nick…

The April drought last year, pulled brood weights down a lot locally, I suspect this year will be the same... Our mature margins seem to provide something, and they have been seen earlier in the Autumn sown Bumblebird mix, before it got tall...

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Lots around here just a couple of years back but haven’t seen many recently, perhaps for reasons above ?

 

[Red Fred]

Ours suffered when we had the Beast from the East and they were hunting in daylight. I hadn't seen one until one flew into me when I was crossing the yard a few weeks ago. I could see its mate fluttering nearby in the torchlight. The GWCT have put up an owlbox in the barn but I don't think they are using it yet.
There seem to be quite a few owls about at night from the noises, both here, where we keep our sheep near Bournemouth, and at Mrs Fred's stables near Poole.

 

[Blue.]

I've one nested between bales in the barn,how long before I can use the bales?

 

[Daddy Pig]

I've one nested between bales in the barn,how long before I can use the bales?

Mid August

 

[Blue.]

Mid August

Ok I better buy some more straw then.

 

[Minesapint]

Ok I better buy some more straw then.

Good man for noticing them, and even better for being willing to give them a chance (probably at a cost to yourself)

 

[Jrp221]

We used to have a nesting pair but think the loads of Tawny's has scared them off, came home a couple of months ago to find one perched in our shed. Haven't seen it since though

 

[Blue.]

Good man for noticing them, and even better for being willing to give them a chance (probably at a cost to yourself)

I think I’ll buy a box and stick it on the end of the barn,for other years.

Ordered some more straw and I can’t see it dropping in price so in reality it’s not going to cost me,we’ve noticed a huge increase in barn owl numbers in the last 3 years,my only worry is seeing them feeding in daylight,possibly they’ll self regulate,one thing I have noticed is them feeding in the field corners I’ve fenced off in a stewardship agreement,so stewardship does work.

 

[upnortheast]

Last 2 years we have had a pair of Barn Owls nesting in a hollow Ash tree.
1st year reared 4 chicks. though later found one dead, looked like it had crashed into the power cables
Last year, 2 in the nest, big difference in size, smaller one died

This year no activity in the nest.

Local bird man was saying that one of the Barn Owl`s main food is Field Voles. Vole population cycle has a major effect on the Owls breeding & survival & has been recorded for many years (long before global warming & modern farming got blamed for everything.
More info here

The Field Vole Cycle

With Field Voles constituting such a relatively large proportion of the diet it’s clearly important to know a little bit about them and how changes in vole populations affect Barn Owls.One of th

www.barnowltrust.org.uk

 

[organicguy]

New box we put up last year had a pair in within a month and fledged 3.
Same box as of 11 April had a female sitting on 3 eggs. Waiting for an update from my twitcher.