We have a good working relationship with several local landowners, who allow us to carry out conservation work on their land.
We have previously talked about our hack pen, which is used as a final point of monitoring before releasing birds that have come into us at the Raptor Hospital. The hack pen is a large aviary with a feed hatch and a release gate. It allows birds to build fitness before release, and get used to their surroundings. It also gives them the opportunity to catch their own prey, as the pen has gaps at its base to allow small rodents access.
Local farmer Sam with Education Officer Susan at the hack pen, following a virtual chat with a school about our Raptor Rescue work.
Since it was installed last Autumn, we have released several Kestrels and Sparrowhawks onto the farmland, and monitored them using trail cams. Last month we reported that Sticky and Holewing Barn Owls had been paired together and placed into the hack pen before release. As a pair bonded couple, we were aware that they might want to breed, so provided a nest box inside the hack pen. When the gate was opened and the birds were free to leave, we were encouraged by them continuing to visit.
Barn Owls will often have two broods if the conditions are right, so we were keen to provide them with another option. After speaking with the farmer, we were able to provide a triangular Barn Owl box, which has now been installed on a mature Oak tree at the field edge.
Installing large nest boxes requires a bit more effort than the ones you might have in your garden for Robins or Blue Tits. The boxes are usually made of marine plywood, which although fairly lightweight, can be rather cumbersome to manoeuvre into position. This is especially true if fixing to a tree, which is rarely flat and smooth, and often has branches in exactly the wrong places! It is important to note that in fixing the nest box, care should be taken not to damage any part of the tree.
Barn Owls particularly like an open view from their nests, whereas Tawny Owls don’t mind having some cover to help hide their nests.
Farmer Sam said “We are very keen to help Barn Owls on the farm, we have been part of an agricultural environment scheme since their inception in the 1990’s however the latest stewardship scheme has really improved habitat for all species. Being a bird of prey we can use the barn owl population as an indicator species for how our habitat management is performing. If we can create the right habitat for insects and invertebrates then this will provide a food source for larger species and so on. We have had great success with our current owl boxes and so when Suffolk Owl Sanctuary suggested a location on the farm for another box we were very keen to install it.
I’m not sure there is a more pleasing sight than watching a barn owl out hunting the hedgerows or grassland.”
If you’d like more information about building or installing nest boxes for Owls, please visit:
https://www.owl-help.org.uk/wild-owl-nestbox-project