|
BARN OWLS have begun nesting in an owl tower
that has been built on open farmland near Bourne to protect one of England’s
endangered species.
The project to provide a permanent habitat 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.
Previously, the owls had nested for the past 25 years in an old red brick barn
owned by the trust which had become unsafe. Using reclaimed bricks from the
building, students from Peterborough Regional College built the four metre high
tower in the middle of the field as a replacement nesting site.
In mid-June, five healthy chicks had hatched in the nest at the top of the tower
and were ringed under licence by Dr Sheppard and Alan Ball of the Barn Owl
Conservation Network.
Dr Sheppard, who designed the tower, was thrilled the owls had used it so
quickly after it was built. "This is a great result", he said.
The owl chicks are seven weeks old (as at June 18th) and 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.
John Freear, a trustee of the Len Pick Trust, explained that the barn dating
back to the early 19th century had been demolished for safety reasons. "We knew
it had been a home for a resident barn owl for many years and we wanted to
mitigate the loss of its habitat", he said.
The trust consulted with Dr Sheppard to agree the outline design and building
students from Peterborough College then became involved to give them practical
work experience and the structure was completed during 2012-13
"The project has been most worthwhile", said Mr Freear. "Sales of reclaimed
materials from the old barn and the assistance of local farmers and suppliers
has helped keep down costs. 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 give a patch of colour to the area.”
The project is particularly rewarding at a time when there is concern nationally
for the barn owl population. “During last year, as a result of the hard winter
and spring, the owl population in Lincolnshire has decreased by some 60%", said
Dr Sheppard, "and we are really delighted that the tower is helping to rebuild
the local population."
|
