This year’s nest box monitoring of Barn Owls has got off to a slow start. 2009 was predicted to be a poor year for Barn Owls due to low vole numbers. The field vole microtus agrestis is the main prey item and a species subject to natural cycles in populations. This year vole numbers are thought to be at a low ebb, which inevitably affects the breeding success of the Barn Owl.

The Tawny Owl, a species known to breed earlier in the year, can often give a good indication of how Barn Owls may fair in the season to come. However this year the Tawnies have also struggled with low breeding success.

This however has not put us off and as always when breeding season comes around we are out covering the South West of Cumbria and monitoring breeding success. This is a job that can last right through into August and can often bring delights as well as disappointments.

There have been some good news stories so far. The chick you can see here was found in a nest box, positioned inside a local barn.

As you can see this female still has a degree of down on her feathers, but is almost ready to fledge. Her sibling was already believed to have fledged when witnessed leaving the nest upon our arrival. This site has successfully fledged chicks for the last few years and we are pleased to see that this year has been no exception.

Monitoring usually involves positioning your ladder and then having a head for heights in order to check the nest box. Some can be trickier than others as you can see from the position of the box in the picture below.

However some are a real treat, like this tree box. This has been used for the first time this year and the pair has so far produced four young chicks. Hopefully when I go back for my second visit all four birds will have been successfully reared and ready to fledge. Watch this space to see what develops through the rest of the 2009 monitoring season.

WORLD OWL TRUST
The Owl Centre
Muncaster Castle
Ravenglass
Cumbria. CA18 1RQ
United Kingdom

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Telephone: (+44) (0)1229 717393
FAX: (+44) (0)1229 717107

World Owl Trust Registered Charity Number: 1107529 Limited Company Number: 5296745

The World Owl Trust is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). The Trust relies on a dedicated membership, visitors, donations and legacies.