Look through the keyhole and you’ll see it’s a Barn Owl

‘Owl’s about that then’.

Having never seen a Barn Owl in flight (or alive) I thought this vid was cool.

It seems that the Nest box was indeed belonging to some project aiming to increase the Barn Owl population (thanks for comments in last post).

After much googling I’ve come up with a few projects based around Yorkshire – none (from what I can see) are responsible for Box no.26 but I will email some of the projects and maybe be given info which would narrow down the search.

These are just a couple of reports on Barn Owl nest box projects around Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Environment Agency and Wildlife Conservation Partnership barn owl project a huge success along Yorkshire Rivers (link here)

East Yorkshire Wolds Barn Owl Group (link here)

2 Videos:

• Watch: Paul Murphy reports on the project. > (You might need to click Launch in Standalone Player)
• Watch: Rob and Keith from the WBOT build a box >

Success of Barn Owl projects – Report by Environment Agency

Story of a 13 year old Barn Owl who was found starving to death but survived

Barn Owl Trust’s info for putting up nest boxes

Who lives in a house like this…

Who lives in a house like this

Another morning, another walk.

This time instead of keeping to the lanes we cut over some fields..

I spotted this nest box atached to a tree. Not sure which bird it’s for. I’ve seen photos of Sarah’s Kestrel box in Wicklow and that was attached much higher up in the tree, so I don’t think this could be for a Kestrel?

Front Door. No Junk mail thanks.

No 26. A very attractive, well situated property with outstanding views and easy access to all local amenities. Viewing a must.

I love the fact that someone has taken the time to make this nest box. The rust on the nails and the state of the wood would suggest that this box has been there a while. Interesting that the nails attaching the roof are new looking, so I wonder if the roof is a recent addition. The fact that there’s a number 26 below the box would suggest this box is part of a large scale project. It would be cool with some googling if it was possible to find out what the project was.

Our walk took us through Chapel Lane railway tunnel and through fields back up to Wescoe Hill Lane. We were lucky it was a beautiful day, cold but sunny.We saw loads of mole hills, rabbit warrens, rabbits, sheep and their baby lambs. Also saw a dead fox which looked like it had starved to death. Ironically it was there rotting next to all these little baby lambs.

Mairzey dotes and dozey dotes and little lambsey divey

In some trees we saw a flock of around 12 Long Tailed tits. They were gorgeous.

The bird who makes up for its small beak issues with a long tail. Who couldn't love this little ball of feathers? Long Tailed tit

Long Tailed Tit. 'I wasn't doing anything Officer, I was just hanging around'. Jeez Louise, bet they wouldn't keep hassling me if I had a bigger beak.

I really liked this walk. After walking through the tunnel I’ve never turned left before (the legal public footpath way!) I’ve always gone straight down to the river, so it was nice to see these birds along the ‘legal’ route.

Also clearly saw a Tree creeper which had crept around the other side of the tree then flew off by the time I’d focused my lens on it. I love Tree creepers and their huge claws. Next time I’m down this walk hope I get a photo of one. OH! Also heard a woodpecker in the distance. Would have loved to have seen it but hearing it was cool in itself.

Red Kites and Emmerdale Farm pigs

Red Kite, Arthington Viaduct in the background

I’ve never worked on my birthday – spend the day behind a desk or spend the day in the countryside walking in the fields? Hmmm.

One of the Red Kites gliding above our house

Red Kite over fields.

Red Kite - close up

Red Kite hunting

In some fields, on top of a manure heap there was this little Grey Wagtail searching for insects

Grey Wagtail, often mistakenly called Yellow Wagtail for obvious reasons...

..it's yellow tail wot it wags.

We also saw this little Song Thrush down next to the river.

Song Thrush next to River Wharfe

Freakoid photo of a Blue Tit, River Wharfe

Also saw loads of Coal tits, Great tits, Robins and a flock of about 20 Fieldfares.

Black and white cat, driving Pat's van

In a field next to the road we saw a couple of pigs feeding. They were very cool so I took some photos. When I got home, mum looked at my photos, saw the ones of the pigs and told me they were the Emmerdale Farm pigs.

Wish I had known at the time, I would have got them to roll over and play dead, blow smoke rings and other tricks I’m sure these animals acTORS have to be able to do.

Wharra complete Diva.One of the Dingle pigs. Apparently.

Look at it raising it’s trotter. Ready to sign another 6 month contract. If you see this Diva on Heartbeat you’ll know they offered better money and swill.

High numbers of dead Barn Owls

During Christmas I found a dead Barn Owl on the side of the River Wharfe near Castley. I couldn’t work out what had killed it, there was no obvious injury and it seemed in perfect condition – except that it was dead.

Eric suggested that the poor thing had probably starved to death from the extreme winter we just had.

Seems he was right -  a BBC article reports on the high levels of dead Barn Owls found in Scotland over winter this year. Very sad.

Article here

Dead Barn Owl

I took myself off for a walk down to the River Wharfe today. I didn’t meet anyone on the lane ways but it was getting dark and was still snowy and icey and anyone with any sense would have had their walk earlier in the day. I have to admit I had one of those glum days today so the darkness and the cold seemed fitting and the river was high, fast flowing, muddy and dark looking. Passed an unsmiling fisherman hoping the swell in the river would improve his chances with the fish. I think I saw a Mistle Thrush, but it could have been a Song Thrush (if Song Thrushes don’t ever have any white on their belly then it was deffo a Mistle Thrush) and then when I was mentally tutting at all the rubbish people leave next to the river I saw a wing.

It was a beautiful, large brownish wing and at first I thought it was a poisoned Red Kite.

I slid down the river bank and saw the big round face of a dead barn owl. It’s features were immaculate. Gorgeous, sad looking,  pure white round face, with it’s big black eyes still open, it’s hooked beak closed, it’s strong clawed feet limp and it’s gentle brown, grey and white feathers motionless. I was emotionally taken aback, it was the last thing I expected to see when I left the house, but that’s the thing about birdwatching/ nature – it has a habit of taking you unawares.

I was in awe, sad it was dead, but in awe that I had this chance to be so close to this beautiful creature. It didn’t look like it had been hit or drowned or it had suffered a sudden trauma, it was just lying there dead. I’d never seen a Barn Owl before but remembered Eric telling us how quiet they flew and hunted through the night. I imagined it’s life before it ended up here, all the meals it must have caught with that beak and claws, how quietly it must have flown and the freedom it would have felt around the fields here – now it lay here dead on a river bank. I wondered if it had family who would miss it.

I didn’t really know what to do for the best with the body. I had a brief thought of picking it up to keep the wings or something but that seemed disrespectful somehow, so I covered it up with twigs and reeds and I suppose left it to be discovered by the foxes or the Rooks who no doubt would eat it and continue this cycle of life.

*** EDIT – Thurs 21 Jan 2010.

Eric has said that this Barn Owl probably died of starvation. The extreme cold winter would have killed off alot of it’s prey and in turn it too has died. This makes this picture even sadder.

Dead Barn Owl found dead on the banks of the River Wharfe near Castley.