There are moments in wildlife photography & monitoring that never lose their sense of privilege, and ringing this year’s Barn Owl chicks was certainly one of them. Earlier this week, under a Schedule 1 licence held by my friend and trainer from the Northants Ringing Group, and with their guidance and supervision, I carried out the ringing of four healthy Barn Owl chicks from one of my nest boxes located on a private estate. The adult pair, Willow and Asher, have successfully raised all four chicks to this stage — a fantastic achievement made even more special when compared to last year’s very poor breeding season.
Using the remote monitoring cameras installed in and outside the nest box, we were able to follow their progress closely and ensure they were ringed at the right time. All four chicks were in excellent condition, made up of two males and two females.
The cameras continue to prove incredibly valuable, allowing breeding activity to be monitored with minimal to no disturbance while giving people a rare window into the hidden lives of these incredible birds — from incubation and feeding through to chick development and fledging. Combined with well-located nest boxes, projects like this help support breeding success, raise awareness and strengthen people’s connection with local wildlife and these magnificent birds
A huge amount of valuable conservation work is also carried out by the Barn Owl Trust to help protect and support Barn Owl populations across the UK. If you’d like to support their fantastic work, please head over to their website and find out how you can support and play your part - Barn Owl Trust
Finally, if you’re a landowner or farmer and would like to support wildlife on your land, I’d love to hear from you. We install nest boxes fitted with remote cameras for Barn Owls, Tawny Owls, Little Owls, Kestrels and other birds, providing safe and much needed nesting sites plus a unique, low-disturbance insight into their everyday behaviour.
These projects help support conservation efforts, provide valuable data, and showcase the positive impact of farming with nature in mind, while also helping to connect people with the natural world.
Willow & Asher
Keeping watch outside their nest box
If you’d like to discuss a box installation and be part of future success stories, please do get in touch.