Owls at Rails Farm
Our owl population is struggling, one of the reasons being lack of dry nesting sites. To try and help, we invited Alan Wells from Pitcombe Rock Falconry. They rescue and rehabilitate owls and birds of prey, but they are also on a mission to increase the dwindling numbers of breeding pairs in the wild. As part of their ‘owl box project’ they build and sell nest boxes for three different types of owls to their own improved designs – but they also come out to assess the terrain, advise on where to put the box, put them up, and monitor the future residents.
Owl facts
Alan told us many interesting facts about owls. Barn owls are white because they hunt at dusk and dawn – a white bird against a light sky is more difficult to spot by the prey. They hunt mainly by sound – they can hear a mouse breathe! This is why their faces are shaped the way they are: they are like satellite dishes that effectively transfer sound to their ears. Mice, in return, can hold their breaths for several minutes in order to avoid them becoming dinner. As barn owls don’t see that very well, it is a good idea to place their nest boxes on a particularly prominent tree, so they can find it. Tawny owls, in contrast, hunt more by sight. They sit high up on perches, surveying their surroundings; they need less obvious sites for their boxes. The ‘twit-twoo’ sound they make is produced by TWO owls – the females call ‘twit’ and the males ‘twoo’.
Future owl residents
When the young owls leave the nest, they need to find dry accommodation quickly. With less old barns and mature hollow trees around these days, many die from hypothermia in their first year of life. Alan identified possible nest box sites for both a tawny and barn owl, and hopefully we will in the future have our very own owl residents at Rails Farm.
German chat sessions
Our German chat group sessions have taken off very nicely and we are always welcoming new people to join us on a Saturday morning at 10 am with fresh coffee and homemade cake.
Gaby & Christoph