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How’s the barn owl season going?
AS it’s now high summer I’m currently engaged in owl nest monitoring. This data is important as it sets down the foundation for conservation decisions and planning for the future. Several regular readers have asked “how is the season for barn owls going”? There is as always By CHRIS tremendous interest in these owls, not just SPERRING MBE from the farmer/landowner community but also interest from the public as well. So, for this article I will just focus on what’s happening to Barn owls so far in 2021 breeding season. I will have to do it in two parts. The story so far. Because there are so many private and internet (webcam) cameras focused on barn owl nests it’s possible to gauge quickly how the season is shaping up. Food is the key to success and the barn owls’ needs are quite simple to say the least, as its prey item is the short-tailed vole, a small mammal living in long grass, so if there are many voles breeding early in the spring the barn owl should be in for a good year. Through being able to watch some private A silent hunter webcams, I witnessed an unusual occurrence of one pair of barn owls laying eggs two months earlier than textbook normal, so by the end of February eggs were laid and this pair’s nesting season had begun. Clearly food was abundant enough to stimulate this pair into taking the huge risk of breeding so early.
A mixed season so far for our barn owls
WILDLIFE
A barn owl in flight
During incubation the male is hunting for food for himself and for his mate, so not too much pressure here, but with six eggs laid and hatching due at the end of March that would be the time when the pressure would build for these owls. Weather-wise, the end of February and early to mid-March was mild, but as the eggs hatched and small owlets demanded more food for growing the weather turned worse. For us April was superb, we looked out from homes to an outside that was wall-to-wall sunshine thinking it was T-shirt weather until, of course, we went outside and smartly went back to our homes to collect jumpers and coats. Yes, it was cold, indeed frosts were regular right up until the first week of May. For the voles that feed on the fresh grass this meant that normal grass growth was supressed due to the very drying wind, constant sunshine and frost. Our early barn owl nest dealt with this by going into survival mode and as owls lay each egg at different times this meant that from six owlets the number began to reduce from six to five, to four, to three and finally to one. This was nature in the raw the owls compensating for the environmental pressure. Meanwhile other pairs of barn owls began to lay eggs at their textbook normal time middle of April to early May. Now these barn owls, of course, had escaped the weather effect with again males just feeding themselves and their mates. Another weather event happened in May, which saw lots of rain. Silent flying owls need their stealth to surprise their prey. Unlike birds of prey they don’t have or need speed, so instead have incredibly well adapted feathering for silent flight which becomes compromised if the feathers get wet. When heavy rain falls at night then the owls are unable to hunt and just sit it out. If these conditions last too long then not only does the hunting owl’s condition deteriorate but also that of any dependent owlet. The rains though eased off as hatching got near and though some hatching owlets were affected many got through this. Next month I will conclude this season, as I’m still out monitoring now, and I will introduce you to a very special brood of barn owls. Before I finish can I please say a massive thank you to all the farmers and landowners who call me for advisory visits and who give permission for me to monitor nest sites.
If you wish to get in touch please ring me on 07799 413918 or email me at: Chris.Sperring@hawkandowltrust.org.uk Also, our Hawk and Owl Trust Somerset Barn Owl Nest Camera is still live. Visit: www.hawkandowltrust.org.uk
MENDIP TIMES • AUGUST 2021 • PAGE 49
