Owl towers

An owl tower designed to protect one of England’s endangered birds and provide a permanent habitat was built on open farmland on the outskirts of Bourne during 2012-13. The project was funded by the Len Pick Trust with the help of advice from Dr Bob Sheppard, an expert on the species who was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2012 for his services to nature conservation.

Barn owls have been nesting for decades in a range of red brick farm buildings on the edge of the land alongside Meadow Drove to the north of the town, pictured above. They date from the early 19th century and formed part of the estate left to the town by the late Len Pick when he died in 2004 but were then in a dilapidated state with no likelihood of further use and were due to be demolished for safety reasons.

The trustees therefore decided to provide a home for the owls to ensure their continued presence in the locality and also to enhance the prospects of attracting further wildlife. The owl tower was built on the northern boundary using reclaimed materials from the demolished farm buildings, a project which was carried out in conjunction with students from Peterborough Regional College as part of their Building Construction Course and a commemorative plaque on the wall records their work and the participation of the Len Pick Trust.

Work was delayed by bad weather during the winter months but the tower was finally completed the end of March. In 2012, the trust was also instrumental in the planting of fifty mixed lime and cherry trees alongside the Mill Drove boundary of the land as a result of a generous anonymous donation.

The area around the tower is the perfect terrain for barn owls that inhabit low lying open fenland and the woodland edge. They are distinctive looking birds with a heart-shaped face, buff back and wings and pure white underparts and are widely distributed across the country. They are are elusive although familiar to those with an interest in the countryside, usually hunting for food at night but sometimes appearing in early evening, swooping low in their search for small mammals such as mice, voles, beetles and even frogs.

Their numbers have suffered in recent years as a result of increasing urbanisation and intensive farming practices and even because there are fewer abandoned buildings, but this trend of decline is slowly being reversed through a greater awareness of their needs, modern conservation and habitat practices such as this.

The tower will not only help to ensure that these attractive birds continue their habitation of the local dykes and grassy margins with their silent and silvery flights but is also likely to attract other wildlife such as bats, kestrels, swallows, and a variety of other amphibians, reptiles, moths and insects.

An official opening of the owl tower was held on Friday 13th December 2013 attended by trustees from the Len Pick Trust, Dr Sheppard and students from the Peterborough Regional College who had worked on its construction.

"The students carried out the work over last winter and spring and they were delighted to learn that owls are now using the tower and there is every indication that next year will see the first brood of chicks raised", said trustee John Freear. "During the last year, as a result of the hard winter and spring, the owl population in Lincolnshire has decreased by some 60 per cent and we expect the tower to help rebuild the local population of this wonderful bird."

After the ceremony, class tutors treated students involved in the project to a fish and chop lunch as a reward for their work.

A second tower is also planned by the trust to be built on farmland which it also owns close to Bourne Wood where more than 100 bat boxes have already been erected in conjunction with the Friends of Bourne Wood organisation.

PHOTO ALBUM

THE FIRST ARRIVALS
The first barn owls began nesting in the tower in the spring of 2014. In mid-June, five healthy chicks had hatched in the nest at the top and were ringed under licence by Dr Sheppard and Alan Ball who were both thrilled that the owls had used it so quickly after being built. "This is a great result", said Dr Sheppard. "The chicks will soon be flying. They will leave the area in late summer and find their own nest site and it is hoped the adults will remain and breed in the tower every year." Trustee John Freear said that the new arrivals had proved that the project had been worthwhile. "We have also created a wildlife friendly area on the site and hope that in a few weeks the wild flower seeds that have been spread around will eventually provide a patch of colour", he said.
Photographs courtesy The Len Pick Trust: 1. Dr Sheppard entering the tower to collect the chicks prior to ringing. 2. Alan Ball ringing one of the chicks. 3. The five chicks ready for ringing.

REVISED JUNE 2014

See also The Len Pick Trust