Barn Owl Update

Barn Owls seem to be having a very successful breeding season.  Nothing affects their success like the food supply which this year has been remarkable.

This year there appear to be many small mammals such as Field Voles being reported as the nest box rounds are completed. In one box the bird ringers found a stash of forty-six dead voles! The boxes are usually full of owl pellets and food and have a distinct aroma!  These ones were no exception!

The chicks develop more slowly than those of Tawny Owls and take on a prehistoric appearance after a couple of weeks!

This year the broods have been larger than usual and in one case a staggering eight healthy 'owlets' were discovered!

In this box there were five young (still a good number). The mother is pictured alongside them and they are cleaner and much younger than the ones above as you can see.