We were lucky enough to gain some funding through the Farming in protected landscape Scheme and we have just finished making numerous barn owl boxes and two barn owl sheds to increase habitat on the Northumberland coast AONB.
With increasing development of dilapidated barns and sheds, loss of substantial trees with cavities from the many recent storms our Barn Owl population is finding it difficult. Luckily one of our Coast Care volunteers is also an emanate Ornithologist and the local registered barn owl ringer for the county so understands the population and spread of barn owls across the coastal zone. With this knowledge our Coast Care volunteers set to work building and installing nine new barn owl boxes in a serious of barns from North to South throughout the AONB, fulfilling a brief to widen nesting opportunities.
As part of the project we designed and built two large Barn owl pent sheds, again increasing habitat on agricultural land which had great potential for nesting and feeding. Our first Shed has went up near Dukesfield in Bamburgh on host landowner Will Armstrong's Farm in a quiet corner of an arable field which has a large plot of rough set aside, ideal for mice and voles as a food source for the barn owl. In changeable weather conditions our volunteers helped carry and construct a large treated timber shed, that will hopefully over the years create a valuable habitat for many generations of Barn owl chicks. Our Second Shed went up a little further south in North Sunderland on landowner Guy Douglas farm, again our volunteers with various construction level skills, all helped get stuck in to building these large custom-built sheds. On this one our team helped add some extra habitat to this second build with a row of Tree sparrow boxes to create more room for nature recovery and hopefully by next year we will have many residences.
Moving on next year we are hoping to expand our Barn Owl Des-res and build some more at various other locations, but also get the chance to go out and assist in some Barn owl survey work to see if our hard work has payed off with new owners. Great Project delivered by our Coast Care Volunteers.
