Worries have began to surface about what effect the recent prolonged wet weather would have on the Barn Owl population which was, at best, fragile after what was a troubled 2013. One of our most environmentally committed farmers had recently been maintaining the six-metre field margins that run all around his land so I decided to take a look to see if any birds were still on territory. The benefit that these strips bring is fully exploited by Barn Owls as they provide a haven for their favourite food, the field vole.
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| Six-metre field margins. |
Encouragingly the fantastic habitat has encouraged a pair of Barn Owls. The male has been on site since 2012 but he seems to have lost his mate from last year and he now has a new partner, a two-year old female. Both birds were in fantastic condition and there is no reason why they should not stay to breed later in the year.
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| New female on territory. |
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| Resident Male |
