2003, Our Best Year Ever

2003 was a strange year in that there were no early broods; despite finding many Barn Owls in our boxes during the early year inspections, many of these had moved on by April and it was late June before pairs began to settle in the boxes.

Whilst neighboring Barn Owl groups were reporting few boxes in use, we were delighted to find 10 of our boxes being used and though broods were very late, we eventually ringed 35 young Barn Owls, more than doubling last years total of 16 young from 4 boxes. Broods were raised in boxes at Tollerton, Plumtree, Gamston, Aslockton, Ruddington, Flintham, Rempstone, Hickling, Kinoulton and Scarrington.

We’ve had some change of schedule for this year whereas all early box maintenance will be finished by the end of February and then no other inspections will be carried out until Owls are settled in the boxes in June.

Hopefully, we’ll beat last years total but it’s impossible to predict numbers as breeding is dependent upon the amount of small mammals available as prey.

More Success

The foot & mouth epidemic greatly curtailed the work of the group, we still erected a few new boxes on Golf Courses but box inspections fell well behind schedule. Considering that a box can soon be put out of use by Squirrels, Jackdaws and Pigeons, it’s vital that box inspections are carried out at least twice a year. Some boxes weren’t inspected for over a year.

2002 proved to be our best ever year, box erections continued to the point where the group now has over 100 boxes to maintain and with such a small group of field workers doing the box inspections, the group decided that boxes would now only be erected in areas that were known to hold several owls.

Nesting successes improved with at least 4 of our boxes being used and these fledged a total of 16 young. Successful boxes were at Radcliffe on Trent, Tollerton, Scarrington & Kinoulton. Another box fledged a family of 5 Kestrels.

2003 started with a setback when our group organiser Jeni Henton moved away to the Outer Hebrides. Jeni also owned the 4-wheel drive vehicle that pulled our trailer.

However, another member acquired a cheap 4WD vehicle and we were soon back in action, inspecting most of our boxes in the last 2 months.

The results were very encouraging as 32 boxes showed signs of Barn Owl use and Barn Owls have been seen in 14 our boxes. These include the first use of our internal boxes.

We now wait to see how many stay to use the boxes for nesting.

Also, for the first time, we have Tawny Owls nesting in two of our boxes and these too will be checked and any young ringed by our ringer, Mick Thompson.

East Midlands Airport

The group has recently received a generous award of £1,500 from East Midland Airport which has been used to buy a computer for the use of the group in their administration, record keeping and educational purposes.

The group is most grateful to East Midlands Airport for this award and are proud to add them to their list of sponsors.

Adopt a Box Scheme

The 'Adopt a Box' scheme allows individuals, companies and organisations to make a valuable contribution to local nature conservation by adopting a Barn Owl Nest Box.

For a one off payment of £50 which will pay for the ongoing maintenance of a designated box for 5 years, the adopters will receive a regular update of any usage of their box. The group also offers to organisations that adopt a nest box a talk and slide show about the Barn Owl and input to any local or community News Letter.

Awards

The Project has won 2 prestigious awards for their conservation work within the Rushcliffe Borough.

At ‘The Mayors Awards’ ceremony, the group were delightedto receive awards as the best ‘Voluntary Organisation’ and the award as the over all winner in the ‘Towards a Better Environment’ Category.

More Celebrations

On the same day that they’d erected their 50th owl nest box, members of the Rushcliffe Barn Owl Project had further cause for celebration when a barn owl and 4 chicks were found in a box on a farm just south of the city.

This owl has had a bad time. The first nest, situated on top of hay bales in a barn was accidentally destroyed when Farm Workers pulled way the bales, not realising that the barn owls were there.

RUBOP was called in and nest boxes erected around the farm. The owls were in one of the boxes within 2 days and another clutch of eggs laid.

There was further tragedy when the female bird was found drowned in a water butt, however, the eggs hatched and two surviving chicks are doing well with food being brought to the nest by the male.

These two chicks finally fledged and were seen to fly from the box. One was photographed in a nearby hedge.

A further inspection of the box in February saw 2 Barn Owls fly from the box.

One was photographed and as no ring was seen on the leg it's assumed that the original male owl has found a new mate and will soon breed again.

Gamston Canal Project

The Millennium Project of the group is to erect nest boxes in suitable habitat along the length of the Grantham Canal where it passes through the borough.

The canal forms a corridor of mature vegetation joining up suitable barn owl habitat through the farmland.It is hoped that farmers with land adjoining the canal will co-operate by leaving grassy areas and field edges unsown and allow the erection of nesting boxes in barns and trees on their land.

Cotgrave Country Park

This new Country Park for the area is under construction on the site of the old Cotgrave Colliery and newly landscaped spoil heaps, and should provide acres of new barn owl habitat. The large areas of rough grass land and sheep meadow, together with the established woodland and hedgerows of the Grantham Canal which passes through the centre of the park and the excavation of some new ponds should hopefully encourage the breeding of the small mammals required to feed barn owls, kestrels and even short-eared owls.

The Rushcliffe Barn Owl Group hopes to arrange the erection of nest boxes at this important site as soon as possible.

Access to the park is currently via the canal tow path with a car park near to the Cotgrave Place Golf Club.