Barn Owls

Our first post winter check of four Barn Owl boxes produced a pair at a site where they've not bred before. The female, pictured, was already ringed and a control GC85185 (from memory). Fingers crossed for pulli later in the year.

Barn Owl

Phew! Rain at last

With the exception of bringing you the breaking news on the Nightjar I've been too busy to update my blog of late. So here's a photographic snapshot of my ringing over the past week.

What's with the white egg?

Oh how cute

Krazy with a K

Feel the pain

Our new line of insect houses

Makes all the Blue Tits worth while

Slim chance of ringing these

How can you fall in love with this?

The best of neighbours

Seeing red

This one had some buzz about it

With thanks to Pete, Colin, Andy, Kane, the climbers, and everybody else that came along too.

Barn Owl bonanza

On Friday I was out with Andy and Adrian checking a few more Barn Owl boxes. After the harsh winter we weren’t expecting much but it felt like there were Barn Owls everywhere we looked. With boxes still to check we’re up to eight pairs confirmed with most on five eggs. Four Barn Owls were ringed yesterday and there were two retraps – one female in the same box for the third year and another female that’s moved a couple of miles since being ringed last year.

In addition there were three sites with Kestrels all on five eggs and a Stock Dove.

Kestrel - Ringed on 29 April 2011

Barn Owl check

After a tip-off of a Barn Owl regularly taking food into a derelict building, Andy and I decided to give the building a quick check. Just the one Barn Owl in the eaves when we got there but loads of pellets and potential nesting spots so we’ll be keeping a close eye on this place.

While we there we also gave a nearby successful box from last year a quick check. The female Barn Owl from last year was home and the squirrels had been busy stuffing the box with sticks over the winter so we removed these to give the Barn Owl enough space to breed.

It’s grim up north

The week started well with 27 Waxwings in the tree behind my house. Hastily I turned my garden into a fruit salad but they’ve not been back since.

This mornings plan to check and maintain Barn Owl boxes with Andy was delayed to the afternoon due to the amount of snow falling. In the end we managed to check around 10 boxes – No Barn Owls present but there were recent pellets in a couple of boxes so fingers crossed for the spring. We’ve also had regular Barn Owl sightings in 5 locations now including one on the fringe of Bishop Monkton.

Yellowhammers are now using our feeder that we erected down Harewood way at the backend of summer. Hopefully, we’ll get some ringing done there during the week.

Barn Owl Boxes

A small group of us joined Andy today checking Barn Owl boxes in countryside to the north and west of Leeds - 6 Barn Owls in total with 3 being ringed for the first time. There were also 3 clutches of eggs so fingers crossed there will be plenty of chicks to ring in just over a months time.

We also ringed 2 Stock Dove chicks and re-caught a Kestrel ringed by Andy in a previous year.

So far it’s looking like it could be a good year for Barn and Tawny Owls.

Barn Owl – Ringed on 2/5/2010

Kestrel – Ringed in a previous year