I received a call this evening from Phil, a farmer in Appleton. Unfortunately, whilst removing some bales of straw, he had found a dead Barn Owl in one of his barns. Perhaps the harsh winter claimed another victim; although, in Barn Owl terms, he had lived quite a long life.
I had ringed the bird as a breeding male in 2008 (when I had estimated him to be in his second year) and he had managed to father successful broods in each subsequent year.
What remains to be seen is whether or not the female manages to attract another male or if she will leave the farm in order to breed elsewhere. Time will tell.
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