On 2014-02-26 07:34:00 +0000, Malcolm said:

In article , Sacha
writes
On 2014-02-25 18:01:24 +0000, Malcolm said:

In article , sacha
writes
Twice in three days a Barn Owl has been seen in our garden, first by
one of the team and today by Raymond. We hope the owl, whether he/she,
may be thinking of nesting in the little spinney at the end of the car
park and behind the Temple in the small garden. We've got Tawnys in
the churchyard but know that Matthew, Ray's son living in the cottage,
has heard Barn Owls in the past.
Barn Owl's nest in holes, Sacha. In old buildings or large trees. They
also take very readily to nestboxes. Your local wildlife trust would,
I'm sure, advise you on size and position - and might even provide a
box for you and advise where it could be erected. A small tea chest (do
they still exist, I wonder?) is about the right size.

We have had a collection box here for decades for the Barn Owl Trust
and did ask them about putting up nest boxes. The man who came to look
advised against it, partly because of the Tawnys, iirc. It was a long
time ago, so I may have forgotten some of it. There are several large
trees in that area of the garden - Redwoods - so they might go for one
of those, if the trees in the spinney aren't sturdy enough. Today, Ray
was under the impression the rooks were objecting to the owl's presence
so that might drive it away, especially if it was looking at one of the
trees near them that isn't a redwood but one of the oaks or remaining
conifers. I can't think of any old, undisturbed, unoccupied buildings
that might suit, though.

The Barn Owl Trust are a good source of information, though we have
Tawny and Barn Owls nesting quite near each other without apparent
problems. Trees are only good for breeding if they have decent
cavities, where a branch has broken off or at the top of the trunk,
though my limited experience of Redwoods suggests this is not common in
them. However, they are probably dense enough to provide a daytime
roosting place, though Barn Owls prefer holes for that too, so it is
quite likely that the bird you are seeing has a hole where it spends
the day, which could also be a nesting site if large enough.

Thanks, Malcolm, we'll keep our eyes and ears open.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon