NEST BOXES: We are indebted to one of our members and Owl expert Philip Hamner for the attached instructions relating to the building and siting of nest boxes.
BARN OWL:Best location is an ‘open’ agricultural type building.
Second best is to locate in a tree with a good open view out; not inside a wood as you would for tawny owls.
Don’t put boxes on poles in the middle of fields; they have lots of problems associated with them.
A height of not much more than 3m is best. A box can sit in a fork of a tree with one or two bearer beams of wood each side to make it level. Best wood for this is the stuff that has been dipped in preservative. The box itself should be painted on the outside with wildlife friendly water based preservative – but put nothing on the inside. Use exterior quality type plywood or similar if at all possible.
N.B. Don’t obscure the owls access hole. vegetation etc.
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Needs cleaning out in the late autumn and fresh wood shavings (pet bedding) added.
If there are not any natural roost sites close then a second box might be needed to encourage breeding – as the male often roosts separately (but close) to a breeding female.
Barn Owls like boxes a lot and they can adopt a box any time of year to roost; they actually nest April-May-June-July.
Barn Owls have special protection in law and you need someone with a Schedule one license to inspect (disturbance) in the breeding season.
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Tawny Owl box.
Place inside a wood, 2 or 3 metres up. Don’t look directly in a box if you think there might be an owl in it (they can fly at your eyes). Nesting April/May/early June).
Little Owl box.
Need an open site (like a Barn Owl tree but can be on the side of a building). Only 2m up. Nest May/June.
PHH 01665 574358
PLANS for KESTREL BOX,and nestbox for TREESPARROW/REDSTART.
Owl Box Plans for BARN OWL, TAWNY OWL, and LITTLE OWL. (click on link)
BIRD ATLAS 2007-2011 www.birdatlas.net
The North Northumberland Bird Club have sponsored the Ring Ouzel in the BTO Atlas.
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