Meet SORC ...............................................................................Scott Mayson

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Inevitably, as more boxes were installed, so the numbers occupied by other species has increased too. By 2011, with an installed base then of almost 1300, of which two-thirds were occupied, 21% unoccupied and almost 10% had not been checked.

As the map right makes plain, Barn Owls and Stock Doves represented approaching 50% of these occupied boxes, Jackdaws about 13%, while other Owls constituted another 2%.

The map also shows that the distribution of boxes is distinctly biased towards the north-east. In future more effort will be dedicated to increasing the western population of Barn Owls.

Editor:Thanks to the efforts of over a hundred enthusiasts and experts sacrificing hours of their time over many years we may have turned the corner for Barn Owl survival in Suffolk. Well done to everyone concerned.

Hopefully others will be inspired by this example to help with another equally pressing problem –the plight of farmland birds.

Figure 8, from page 6, box occupation by species in 2011