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BOCN News |
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Barn Owl Update June 2008 Story dated: 3/6/2008 Further early checks at Barn Owl sites have revealed that occupancy levels are high this year throughout much of England with about 75% of pairs breeding. Clutch sizes are slightly lower than last year and most eggs hatched during the last week of May. Most pairs started to lay their eggs during the third and fourth week of April with some exceptions in late March. Numerous single birds and pairs are also on site but are not currently breeding. It is likely that there will be some late egg-laying in late June and early July by first year birds. Click here to view a live Barn Owl webcam in East Anglia. Please remember: The Barn Owl is specially protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and The Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order, 1985, making it an offence, to intentionally or recklessly disturb Barn Owls prior to egg-laying or at an active nest site with eggs or small young, or with dependent young, without a licence from the appropriate countryside agency. |
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 Forecast for 2008 Story dated: 4/26/2007 Colin Shawyer reports: As some of you will have noticed we have had a minor hiccup with the web site during the last few weeks but now all seems OK. Apologies for this. Many of you have been asking me about the predictions for the forthcoming season. As some of you will know, I and other colleagues conduct a few early season visits to a small number of nestboxes to guage the timing of the Barn Owl breeding season. This has revealed that about 50% of pairs are currently back at their breeding sites but at most sites, the adult females are not yet at breeding weight. I anticipate that egg-laying for the majority of pairs this year will be between 25th April and 5th May. Vole numbers undoubtedly will be much lower than last year. Fledging success is likely to average about three young per site, and there will be very few double broods. 2009 is likely to be a trough year for Field Voles and consequently poor breeding success for Barn Owls. We will see! Best wishes to you all. |
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Broad interest at local symposium Story dated: 6/18/2008 Thanks to everyone who took part in the Local Barn Owl Synergy Symposium hosted recently at Sheepdrove Eco Conference Centre. Run by the Pang, Kennet and Lambourn Valley Countryside Project FWAG - the symposium was the climax to a short series of workshops which marked the achievements of local Barn Owl groups, and sought to strengthen links with landowners and other countryside groups including The Ramblers and wildlife trusts. Twenty-three delegates took a walk (in a gale and rain!) to see examples of box locations and ideal habitat on Sheepdrove Organic Farm. Luckily there was a good supply of hot drinks and Sheepdrove-made organic cakes to help us recover from the weather! The refreshments must have worked well, because despite being battered by the elements one rambler wrote to say, 'We all enjoyed it. It is always such a pleasure to visit Sheepdrove.' A map workshop improved the group's local knowledge of Barn Owl sites in the area and linked up future conservation efforts. Presentations covered a summary of local conservation achievements, and a talk on monitoring with an emphasis on local archives and nest site confidentiality. The event was devised by Jason Ball, to bring together a range of people from around the area. Jason, an advisor on the Barn Owl Conservation Network, said, 'We wanted to bring together people and groups who might not usually think about Barn Owl conservation , but who might be able to work together.' "For instance, Butterfly Conservation volunteers often monitor sites with rough grass and they could be helping the Barn Owl where they find Marbled White and Gatekeeper. Or we could work with Water Vole officers in the Wildlife Trusts who work to conserve the same habitat that we need to see for the Barn Owl.' These events were awarded financial support from the Sustainable Development Fund of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, funds from Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre and the Friends of the Pang Kennet and Lambourn Valleys. The symposium was also kindly subsidised by Sheepdrove Organic Farm. |
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