Elusive and beautiful - the sight of a barn owl is one of those wildlife experiences that leave you with a great sense of privilege.
Once common sights, these icons of the open countryside have suffered due to loss of habitat; up to 80 per cent of barn owls now nest in man-made boxes. Thanks to funding from Valencia Communities Fund, Somerset Wildlife Trust has launched the Community Barn Owl Project.
By providing a free nest-box for each of Somerset's 335 parishes, and providing wildlife-friendly land management advice, the project will boost the numbers of breeding barn owls, helping to ensure they remain part of the Somerset landscape for generations to come.
The project hopes to address two main factors in the decline of the Barn Owl: the loss of traditional nesting sites and the loss of long, rough grassland hunting habitat. Volunteers will help survey and monitor barn owl numbers and distribution, and 60 primary schools will receive an educational visit with children helping to make nest-boxes.
The three-year project is a collaboration with the Hawk and Owl Trust, a national charity dedicated to conserving birds of prey and owls and their habitats. The project was launched in March 2012 in east Somerset, marking the start of the comeback for Somerset's Barn Owls.
Photo credits
Group shot, Bruton - Vincent Evans
Barn Owl - Darin Smith
For more information
http://www.somersetwildlife.org/barnowls.html (External site, opens in new window)
