Wildlife On The Farm

Set against the backdrop of the Fen landscape is one of three Barn Owl Towers that were constructed in Deeping St Nicholas in the autumn of 2004.

The West face shown of the first completed structure in the late autumn. Sunset highlights the reclaimed bricks and pantiles from a farm building demolished in Deeping Fen in 2003.

An estimate on the age of the local bricks is between 150-175 years old and the bricks would almost certainly have been made in the village!

Within a week of completion all 3 towers were being used by kestrels as hunting posts. All  3 towers are situated next to wild flower meadows so they will be rich in small rodents.

2006 was a poor year for Barn Owls in this area and only half of the Barn Owls nested at the sites I normally check. However 2007 has been a good year for Barn Owls as there have been plenty of voles around, their main source of food. Two out of three of the towers were occupied by Barn Owls which successfully reared a brood of young each.

I have put smaller nest boxes under the lower floor for tree sparrows, wrens or swallows.

If you see Barn Owls flying about in your area in daylight it means the Owls did not manage to catch enough voles at night. It could be that there have been some wet and windy nights or that there are just not enough voles around.

If you know you have Owls in your area and you don't see them around is a good thing as it means that they are able to catch enough food at night and will be able to breed in the coming spring.

In 2007 six pairs of Barn Owls bred on my land in Deeping Fen as well as a pair of Tawny Owls and two pairs of Little Owls. I have provided the nesting sites for them and also hunting sites in the form of wide grass margins and flower meadows. The best ground for Voles is grassland that is not mown every year.

These four apprehensive looking youngsters are out there somewhere

One of the first Barn Owl residents