So, barn owls ....



Cheers mate, good advice.

The trouble is that we've contacted various groups who haven't been that helpful ..... Conserving the Barn Owl and its environment etc.

We always have various rescued critters here and the gardeners etc, are all good blokes who are happy to come in at weekends etc, to help.

We've just taken on a couple of polecat kittens who are as cute as cute can be ...... the difficulty is stopping yersel picking them up all the time.

We don't want them to become 'human friendly' as they should really be released when they can fend for themselves.
I can put you in touch with some one from Walworth Castle birds of prey I am sure he will be willing to help.
 
Better than springwatch this, @Reiver rtg's very own Bill Oddie. You must have a canny size garden for your lake and owl kip. Good on you, must be class. I've got to make do with next doors puma chasing robins and blackbirds whilst a git fat wood pigeon eats all the seeds I've put out for the smaller birds.
I get the woodpigeons sitting on my fence and my strange neighbour complained about me feeding the birds as, she says, the pigeons sit facing the food so end up shitting in her garden. I say garden, it's all concrete with a brutally pruned tree. Mad. :lol:
 
That's very kind mate, I'd appreciate that.

I thought you'd say you were past it now and well clued up, having read the rest of the thread, Love barn owls, actually all natural birds of prey. We have owl boxes up, and barn owl boxes in the sheds, they are great at controlling vermin and more environmentally friendly than poisons. I will contact him tomorrow and ask f I can give you his number. He exercises his birds on our fields, great for frightening the pigeons away.
 
I thought you'd say you were past it now and well clued up, having read the rest of the thread, Love barn owls, actually all natural birds of prey. We have owl boxes up, and barn owl boxes in the sheds, they are great at controlling vermin and more environmentally friendly than poisons. I will contact him tomorrow and ask f I can give you his number. He exercises his birds on our fields, great for frightening the pigeons away.

I'm not that arrogant mate, we're always happy to take advice from anyone.

We also have a programme of putting up all kinds of boxes around the place .... hopefully, if we release any of our they'll use them.

We're even giving over parts of the garden to create hedgehog villages ;)
 
Well reading through this thread its good to see all your efforts come to fruition. I might see if i can attract some round our Bowling clubs green. Lovely creatures ....can you comment if any of these boxes below will work ?

Barn Owl Nest Box Pole Model – Barn Owl Box Company

Barn Owl Fact Sheet

Building a Bird House? Make the Right Size Hole

We get frequent Kestrels, Sparrowhawks overhead would it be a concern?

I want to tap into some local funding to plant more wild flowers in our surrounding area to encourage bees etc I was actually thinking of maybe a beehive as the school my youngest daughter attends have a couple on their fields and make their own honey and sell it to parents Thought it might sell to opponents and visitors to our Bowling club...anyway

The land the club has at its disposal that we maintain... Allotments bottom right 3rd

Logon or register to see this image
 
Better than springwatch this, @Reiver rtg's very own Bill Oddie. You must have a canny size garden for your lake and owl kip. Good on you, must be class. I've got to make do with next doors puma chasing robins and blackbirds whilst a git fat wood pigeon eats all the seeds I've put out for the smaller birds.

Aye puts into perspective, closest I get to owt like this is watching my other half’s folks gan leet about moles running a mock!
I did see a weasel knack a rabbit last year at their kip as well like, bad little sods weasels!
 
Well reading through this thread its good to see all your efforts come to fruition. I might see if i can attract some round our Bowling clubs green. Lovely creatures ....can you comment if any of these boxes below will work ?

Barn Owl Nest Box Pole Model – Barn Owl Box Company

Barn Owl Fact Sheet

Building a Bird House? Make the Right Size Hole

We get frequent Kestrels, Sparrowhawks overhead would it be a concern?

I want to tap into some local funding to plant more wild flowers in our surrounding area to encourage bees etc I was actually thinking of maybe a beehive as the school my youngest daughter attends have a couple on their fields and make their own honey and sell it to parents Thought it might sell to opponents and visitors to our Bowling club...anyway

The land the club has at its disposal that we maintain... Allotments bottom right 3rd

Logon or register to see this image

It's quite tricky mate.

The 3rd link you put on is good, the height the box goes is important and it would ideally be as high as possible and out of all draughts .... they don't like wind.

Inside building, or under eaves is good but they're less keen on trees where crows etc, can mob up on them.

Quiet, dark and private is best ... crows, magpies, etc don't like going into dark buildings etc.

That's my advice but I'm sure other people, on here, can help as well .... good luck with it all, it's quite humbling to help creatures like this.
 
I'm not that arrogant mate, we're always happy to take advice from anyone.

We also have a programme of putting up all kinds of boxes around the place .... hopefully, if we release any of our they'll use them.

We're even giving over parts of the garden to create hedgehog villages ;)
I love hedgehogs. I live next to a dene and in previous years I used to feed them and get about 8 in the garden which was great to watch. However, I got absolutely none last year. Completely gone. I found one frozen and a couple were run over. It's just so sad.
 
It's quite tricky mate.

The 3rd link you put on is good, the height the box goes is important and it would ideally be as high as possible and out of all draughts .... they don't like wind.

Inside building, or under eaves is good but they're less keen on trees where crows etc, can mob up on them.

Quiet, dark and private is best ... crows, magpies, etc don't like going into dark buildings etc.

That's my advice but I'm sure other people, on here, can help as well .... good luck with it all, it's quite humbling to help creatures like this.

I would say the same, I was told a barn owl box is completely different to a normal owl box. I was told you want a standard box with a shelf on the top so they can perch then drop in. Inside of course.
 
..... does anyone have experience of keeping them?

We've just taken all the glass out of an old 30x20 metre greenhouse and were left with a wonderful steel frames structure that was too good to destroy. We decided to turn it into an aviary and see what turned up ....... so we were at the wildlife rescue centre, yesterday, picking up 21 rescued mallard ducklings. When we mentioned the aviary he took us to see a pair of rescued barn owls :eek:

Some lunatic, in Southampton, had bought them as a birthday present for his girlfriend and they were living in their house .... as they were bred in captivity he daren't release them as they won't be able to fend for themselves. So we've put a shed in the 'aviary' plus a couple of nestboxes and various perches etc.
We've also dragged a dead tree, from the forest and set that up in there and put a beautiful but knackered old stone fountain for water.

After that we're clueless as to how to look after them .... help?
Sounds class, puts me fish tank to shame. Got any pictures?
 

Back
Top