Devon SSSI nature reserve and eco lodges - Maggie's Blog
4 March
A new barn owl box - and lots more sightings...
Our barn owls are still very active, and can be seen most evenings drifting low over the lodge field hunting voles. Between flights they'll often perch on the volleyball posts. And now's the time of year they'll be looking for a new nest site - if they need one. That depends on whether the local population expanded or contracted last season. Barn owls can stay pretty faithful to nest sites, so if they didn't do well they'll probably stick to their previous site.
But just in case....!
We've added another owl box. We've already got 2 in Popehouse Moor SSSI. But the owls have used the lodge field so frequently this winter we're putting one up there too. So during national bird box week - at half term - I went to visit my Dad and picked up a new (well, carefully refurbished actually) owl box that is now in position, complete with a layer of bark in the bottom for comfort!
I was hoping to get more pictures of the owl, but I don't really have the right equipment. Still - there's my barn owl video from November if you haven't seen it yet.
And as Ian got the box into place and checked the flight path was open, the owl appeared. It floated along the edge of the trees, right by the ladder, noiselessly quartering the grass. It turned, perched on one of the volleyball poles, then flew again, finally dropping down with wings outstretched. One less vole in our field I guess.