New barn owl nest site discovered on nature-friendly farm in Co. Down

A pair of barn owls have successfully bred at a new nest site in Co Down much to the delight of conservationists, given the poor breeding year for these vulnerable birds in 2021.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Aug 2022, 15:08 BST
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Three healthy chicks were discovered in July at Ballycruttle Farm, a nature-friendly farm outside Downpatrick, in a nest box installed by Ulster Wildlife last winter.

Barn owls are a priority species in Northern Ireland with fewer than 30 breeding pairs found here and only a handful of known nest sites, according to the local nature conservation charity. Loss of hunting habitat and nesting places, alongside rodenticide use, risks from road traffic, and wet and extreme weather, are the main threats to their survival.

Ulster Wildlife is working alongside RSPB NI, and farmers in Co. Down, to halt and reverse the decline of this iconic farmland bird.

Katy Bell, from Ulster Wildlife, joins volunteer bird ringer David Galbraith to help ring one of the new chicks at Ballycruttle Farm. Ringing helps to track the birdsâ€TM movements and monitor the population. Three nest boxes were installed by Ulster Wildlife at Ballycruttle Farm last winter and barn owls will often return to the boxes to roost or breed.Katy Bell, from Ulster Wildlife, joins volunteer bird ringer David Galbraith to help ring one of the new chicks at Ballycruttle Farm. Ringing helps to track the birdsâ€TM movements and monitor the population. Three nest boxes were installed by Ulster Wildlife at Ballycruttle Farm last winter and barn owls will often return to the boxes to roost or breed.
Katy Bell, from Ulster Wildlife, joins volunteer bird ringer David Galbraith to help ring one of the new chicks at Ballycruttle Farm. Ringing helps to track the birdsâ€TM movements and monitor the population. Three nest boxes were installed by Ulster Wildlife at Ballycruttle Farm last winter and barn owls will often return to the boxes to roost or breed.

“Ballycruttle Farm has been working closely with RSPB NI to improve their farm for wildlife so when they contacted us last year about putting up boxes, we saw lots of potential for barn owls given the excellent hunting and nesting habitat available,” said Katy Bell, Senior Conservation Officer for Ulster Wildlife.

“We were absolutely thrilled to hear that a barn owl pair had settled into one of our boxes so quickly and even more excited when we heard the characteristic rasping and snoring sound of the chicks.

“Last year was tough for barn owls, with many nest sites failing, so this is welcome news for our tiny barn owl population and bodes well for the future as, hopefully, the chicks will go on to breed.”

Dawn Stocking, owner of Ballycruttle Farm, first heard the barn owls’ distinctive eerie screech about two years ago and was lucky to see the ghostly-white bird close up before getting help from the charity.

Mark McCormick from RSPB NI and Katy Bell and Ross McIlwrath from Ulster Wildlife, join Dawn Stocking from Ballycruttle Farm to help ring the new barn owl chicks. Both charities have been working closely with Ballycruttle Farm to help improve hunting territory for this priority species and installing next boxes to provide a safe place for the birds to breed.Mark McCormick from RSPB NI and Katy Bell and Ross McIlwrath from Ulster Wildlife, join Dawn Stocking from Ballycruttle Farm to help ring the new barn owl chicks. Both charities have been working closely with Ballycruttle Farm to help improve hunting territory for this priority species and installing next boxes to provide a safe place for the birds to breed.
Mark McCormick from RSPB NI and Katy Bell and Ross McIlwrath from Ulster Wildlife, join Dawn Stocking from Ballycruttle Farm to help ring the new barn owl chicks. Both charities have been working closely with Ballycruttle Farm to help improve hunting territory for this priority species and installing next boxes to provide a safe place for the birds to breed.

“Move on 18 months, I was putting my own chickens to bed one evening when ’daddy’ flew out of the box and over my head,” she said.

“Soon after, we then started to see the chicks poking their heads out and Katy from Ulster Wildlife and Mark from RSPB NI came to investigate further.

“This has been such a fantastic experience for us. The kids have loved being involved from putting boxes up, to seeing the parents fly out for food to watching the babies being ringed.

“We are so proud to be helping with the recovery of a priority species, working alongside Ulster Wildlife and RSPB NI, and would encourage other landowners to get involved.”

Nature-friendly farmer Dawn Stocking, her children, and father William Bassett, delight at one of the three barn owl chicks which successfully hatched at Ballycruttle Farm this summer, providing a welcome new nest site in Northern Ireland for this priority bird.Nature-friendly farmer Dawn Stocking, her children, and father William Bassett, delight at one of the three barn owl chicks which successfully hatched at Ballycruttle Farm this summer, providing a welcome new nest site in Northern Ireland for this priority bird.
Nature-friendly farmer Dawn Stocking, her children, and father William Bassett, delight at one of the three barn owl chicks which successfully hatched at Ballycruttle Farm this summer, providing a welcome new nest site in Northern Ireland for this priority bird.

Ballycruttle Farm is a haven for many different farmland birds and is part of the County Down Farmland Bird Initiative, a group project within the Environmental Farming Scheme, led by RSPB NI.

Mark McCormick, Conservation Officer for RSPB NI, who has been working alongside the farm for many years, giving advice and support, says: “We are absolutely delighted to see all the hard work carried out by Ballycruttle Farm yield such positive results.

“The seed-rich habitats maintained on the farm provide an essential winter food source for birds like the endangered yellowhammer, and also ideal territory for the barn owl to hunt for small mammal prey. Areas of rough grass and impressive hedgerows enhance the barn owl hunting territory even further.

“With the addition of the nest boxes, you can see why these magnificent barn owls have decided to make Ballycruttle Farm their home to raise their young.”

One of the three barn owl chicks hatched and ringed at the new barn owl nest site at Ballycruttle Farm, thanks to help from conservationists at Ulster Wildlife and RSPB NI.One of the three barn owl chicks hatched and ringed at the new barn owl nest site at Ballycruttle Farm, thanks to help from conservationists at Ulster Wildlife and RSPB NI.
One of the three barn owl chicks hatched and ringed at the new barn owl nest site at Ballycruttle Farm, thanks to help from conservationists at Ulster Wildlife and RSPB NI.

The chicks, a male and two females, were ringed by licensed BTO bird ringer, David Galbraith, to help identify and track the birds’ movement. Strict hygiene procedures were followed to reduce possible transmission of avian influenza.

The charity has also reported more barn owl news in Co. Down with four chicks fledging from a wildlife-friendly farm in Strangford and one sole chick survivor from Mount Stewart after its siblings were lost to predation.

Volunteers from Ulster Wildlife are currently surveying the countryside for signs of barn owl activity and potential nest sites.

If you have seen a barn owl or would like to discuss measures you can put in place to help them, please contact Katy Bell at Ulster Wildlife on 07816 065 736 or email [email protected]. Alternatively visit www.ulsterwildlife.org/barn-owls

Related topics:RSPB NIDownpatrickNorthern Ireland