Clearly visible in the apex of the gable end of this old Cheshire barn is a Barn Owl window. These windows were traditionally incorporated into agricultural buildings in order to encourage the owls to take up residence. Owls were a natural means of pest control and served to keep the rodent population in check on many farms.
Note the later addition of cables below the window; this would seriously impair the flight path of any bird approaching or leaving the barn. The use of these windows has declined to the extent that their use is now minimal and the provision of alternative nest sites is consequently one of our conservation priorities.
Today, on a really sunny December morning, we put up a couple of new boxes on the south side of Middlewich. Peter is posing underneath the latest addition to our box portfolio!
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