My winter this year was remarkably quiet. I think that the mild weather played a part but we also have some feisty owls on site who may have intimidated some of the visiting owls. I watched a video recently from the previous winter and counted the usual seven or eight flying in together and felt disappointed to think I had not had such an opportunity recently.
During late winter, we saw owls flying in the vicinity of the farm and heading away past my house. The territorial screeching was constant from our resident owls who were pairing up ready for the forthcoming season. I suspect the flurry of activity was from youngsters still chancing their luck for a free lunch. We also have owls at a bungalow close by who were probably last year's youngsters but who were being told in no uncertain terms that the farm was out of bounds.
At the end of February, Rob took down both east and west nest box and repaired them. There were owls roosting in both boxes and I was anxious to get them both back up as quickly as possible. He did a great job and we positioned them further back into the dutch barn to protect them from the weather and so make them last longer. I needn't have worried about the owls moving elsewhere, on the very first night it was back up, an owl was waiting for me on the top of east nest box.
Our owls lay their eggs at the beginning of March and true to form, everything went quiet as the month began. I have rarely seen an owl since then with the females busily brooding their eggs and the males carefully keeping well out of my way so as not to give away the nest site but there are clues. I notice droppings in the farm gateway, under the roof struts nearest nest box and all over the combine!! This tells me where owls are waiting or hunting. I also scour the ground for pellets and notice that there are regularly found near the farm chimney. It makes me wonder if this will, once again, be a nest site for these opportunistic birds.
I do occasionally see an owl. One regularly waits on the house aerial while another flies in to the shed roof by the gate whilst I am in the yard itself but the views are fleeting. When the pink moon that heralded a new month was illuminating the yard, I decided to wait by the shed and see who flew where. Immediately an owl took a chick up to east nest box. I could hear it clattering around inside as it left the food for its mate while I sat perfectly still barely daring to breathe. From the corner of my eye I saw another taking food into the combine shed while a third flew to the shed roof and then flew back across the yard. I wonder if we actually now have three pairs of owls with the oldest female pushed out to the periphery of the farm and two younger pairs taking east nest box and the shed but only time will tell. While I am pondering this thought, the owl leaves east nest box, pauses, and lets out an almighty shriek. I have been rumbled. I switch on the torch and make sure the owls know I have left the yard so they can continue to feed in peace.
Meanwhile, the Little Owls are becoming more visible, and wait for me each morning on the front of their designated nest box. Their indignant frowns always make me smile and I look forward to seeing more of them as they too, rear their families.
As for the kestrels? Well since the afternoon when they were circling with a third bird , things seem to have settled down. I suspect it was a rival male competing for our female and for all I know, he may have ousted the bird she has been canoodling with since Christmas but I do hope not. I watched the pair mating in the tree at the start of the week and now they have disappeared entirely. I am not concerned. I assume she has taken to their favoured nest site and he is loyally keeping out of sight too.
What with at least two broods of Barn Owls hatching any time and both Kestrels and Little Owls rearing young too I am looking forward to new life on the farm as the days lengthen and the warmer weather returns. Happy days.
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