The storms that have impacted the UK and, in turn our wildlife this winter, have been relentless. We began with Storm Agnes on the 25th September and have had a severe storm approximately every two weeks since then culminating in eight in total including Storm Henk on the 2nd January. Between these storms we have had deluge upon deluge of rain leading to flooded fields and brimming ditches. It's a hard time to be a Barn Owl.
Although these conditions are tricky for all wildlife, Barn Owls are especially susceptible. Their feathers aren't waterproof. This is necessary for silent flight and makes them a feared hunter as they can stalk their prey and strike without being heard. It does however mean that during rain they cannot hunt. Wet undergrowth proves tricky too as each time they strike for prey they become wetter and wetter. They are a species that need dry conditions to sustain themselves. Windy conditions also prove tricky for Barn Owls as they predominantly use their hearing to catch their prey. The wind makes this impossible so even if a Barn Owl can manage to fly in blustery weather it cannot hunt effectively.
(Thorney Fen last Spring)
With the extra food I leave out, ours seem to have fared well but they are desperate. They fly to meet me and circle low while they wait for the food. It is a pitiful sight to see a wild bird waiting on the food platform and behaving in a totally alien way because it is starving. The youngsters wait in the straw , hissing urgently as soon as they hear my voice. They should have broken this habit by now but are relying on me totally to see them through this weather.
Further afield I see signs of owls in trouble. On social media there are stories of birds starving to death at their roost sites as they wait for more hospitable weather. My sister had one hunting her fields at 1pm in the afternoon. As I drive home from work across the fen, I am caught unawares by a hungry owl out before dusk that scatters upwards in front of my car. I swerve and swear. This owl has been pushed beyond its comfort zone in its hunger. I look out for them whenever I drive and yet I narrowly missed this one. As I reach home I see one of ours just outside the farm gate, perched on a post, head down, concentrating on its hunt. Barn Owls will hunt in this way during the winter to conserve energy. Even with the additional food it seems ours are hungry too.
There are up to ten owls waiting each evening. It is a humbling sight. Yet if I think beyond our immediate autumn broods I know that the summer owlets that I watched Charles ring will have most likely perished by now. Weather such as this is nearly impossible for inexperienced youngsters to tackle. Unless they have happened upon an excellent roost site, or stayed close enough to fly in to us their longevity is unlikely. Sometimes it feels that as part of the bigger picture I am not making a difference at all. I cannot take on Mother Nature and all that She can throw at us and win. The floods and the storms have shown us that entirely.
Weather in Fenland has undoubtedly changed. In his farming heyday my husband would get the crops in before the weather turned each autumn and springs were mild and welcoming. Now it is becoming normal to see this stormy, inclement weather through much of autumn and our springs are often cold and inhospitable. Whether you see the extremes in weather as climate change as most people are now acknowledging or whether you believe that extreme conditions have prevailed for centuries,there is no doubt that the climate is very different now.
In the short term I can feed the owls and help them through the lean spells but long term I, like everyone, else need to look at how I can tread lightly on this earth of ours and minimise my impact. The RSPB's State of Nature reports estimates that 43% of bird species are at risk of extinction. I really hope the Barn Owl isn't one of them.
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