COMPETITION! Name the Tawny Owl Trio!

COMPETITION! Name the Tawny Owl Trio!

The three young Tawny Owls we mentioned on our Facebook page at the end of May are continuing to make excellent progress and are now housed in a larger aviary. The smallest owl is unrecognisable from the vulnerable white downy covered owlet that arrived at the Trust just 48 hours old. It has settled very well with the two sibling owlets that came to the Trust after being found at the base of a tree alongside a dead sibling.

Eventually we hope to release the three Tawny Owls back into the wild, but in the meantime we would love you to help us name them! Click on the link to the right and for £3 you can enter your three name choices for the Tawny Owls. Enter your name choices in the ‘Reason for Donation’ box on the ‘Give a Donation’ form. Names need to be non-gender specific.

The winning trio of names will be posted in a photograph on Facebook and on our website news page at the end of July. The winner will receive a Barn Owl Adoption for a year that usually costs £30. So keep checking our page – it could be you! Thanks for supporting our work.

NEW! Hoody and T-Shirt Design! June 2010

New hoody and t-shirt design!

Check out our new hoody design promoting rough grassland for Barn Owls. What do you think? With ten orders or more we can go into production!

Available in classic olive as a hoody with design on reverse, or as a t-shirt with design on front. Hoody £22, T-shirt £14. Actual wording will vary slightly to that shown and may read: ‘I like a bit of rough! Promoting rough grassland for Barn Owls’.

Email us at: info@barnowltrust.org.uk to pre-order yours!

This Tawny Owlet was brought to the Trust by the RSPCA on 19th April 2010. It was approx. 48 hours old and still had the egg tooth on its beak and its eyes closed. The Owlet was kept under a heat lamp and fed small select pieces of dead poultry chick every 3 hours.

The Owlet has made good progress and is now housed with two slightly older sibling Tawny Owls that were brought to the Trust after being found at the base of a tree with a dead sibling. NOTE: please remember it is illegal to take birds from the wild, and hand rearing an owlet and releasing it later is NOT the best thing for it if the adults are still present. Tawny Owlets do spend a lot of time on the ground but this doesn’t mean they are in trouble, it’s a natural stage of development. Our leaflet ‘What to do if you find a young Tawny Owl’ can be found on our website http://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/infopage.html?Id=50

Canonteign Falls Walk 2010

The weather held off on Saturday 8th May long enough to allow everyone taking part in the sponsored walk to enjoy the beautiful lush green surroundings of Canonteign Falls in Devon. Primroses and bluebells nestled in woodland areas providing splashes of colour, whilst the Fern Garden nurtured tightly curled up ferns waiting to reveal their full glory over the coming weeks. A picturesque wooden bridge provided a welcome resting place and the chance to admire the stunning waterfalls cascading down ancient rock formations to the lakes below. Admiring the falls from below also gave walkers time to contemplate climbing the ninety Victorian steps to reach the summit of the 220ft falls. The climb was rewarded with spectacular panoramic views across the Teign Valley and beyond.

A gently sloping descent through beautiful woodland held hidden sculpture surprises along the way, finally leading back down to the tranquil lakes below. A warm drink in front of a cosy wood burning stove and a picnic lunch rounded off the walk perfectly, everyone went home with memories of stunning scenery and the knowledge they had ‘done their bit’ towards helping Barn Owl Conservation.

The fundraising total for the day is still being gathered and will be added to our news page as soon as it is known. Thanks to everybody who took part and everybody who sponsored Hugo the Cocker Spaniel to walk on their behalf - Thank you!

Three Minute Wonder!

Our new promotional film is now 'live' on the Barn Owl Trust website! Go to 'About the Trust', 'Watch our three minute video' to have a look. The film is a short summary of the work of the Trust, tracing its foundations in 1988 right through to the present day. Conservation, education and research are all highlighted in the video, as well as information provision.

The film emphasises just how vital donations, adoptions and legacies are to enabling the Trust to continue its work. The Lennon Legacy Project is a fantastic example of how a legacy can really make a difference, allowing the Trust to transform 26 acres of intensive grassland into 26 acres of Barn Owl heaven - which now has two pairs of breeding Barn Owls!! As well as appearing on our website, the film will accompany funding applications to show the varied amount of work the Trust undertakes.

A big 'thank you' to Hilltribe Productions for a great production. Our new 'Wings of Change' educational film should arrive any day now. We can hardly wait!!

New BOT partner for used stamps, postcards,jewellery,etc!

January 2010

Since we started a new partnership with the business Stamps N All in August 2009 we have raised almost £1,000 to benefit the Barn Owl Trust. They will buy used stamps, coins, postcards, jewellery, envelopes and first day covers, watches, medals, old keys and much more. Items can still be sent to us, but please read the instructions (especially with stamps) carefully first if sending directly to Stamps N All as we at the BOT will not be checking items before they are sent on. We have met David, the sole trader who runs the business and were very pleased with the payment received for our funds from the items he checked and purchased. There is a link on the right to his web page so please do have a look and if you have any memorabilia lurking in your attic or under the stairs please think of us when you clear it out. We can also supply one of the boxes shown above to larger collection points, such as offices, if required.

Owls on wheels!

Two new mobile release aviaries are about to go into service for the Barn Owl Trust. Originally a ‘whacky idea’ by Head of Conservation, David Ramsden MBE, the unusual looking contraptions were pioneered by the Trust and have since become a vital piece of equipment for the rehabilitation and release of Barn Owls back into the wild.

49% of the injured owls received by the Trust recover well enough to be released. As David explained “it’s much better to take the owl back to the area it came from and far better to release it from an aviary than taking it out and just letting it go. Using a mobile aviary allows us to use the best release method in the best place for each individual owl. The aviary is towed close to the site where the owl was found and parked up. The owl is then placed inside for about two weeks before the roof is opened up, allowing the bird to fly in and out. Once the owl stops returning for food the aviary is towed to the next release site. People love getting involved”, said David, “we have no end of volunteers who’d love to have a Barn Owl released on their land”.

The two new mobile aviaries supersede the original version built in1997 and include significant design improvements and modifications. Galvanised steel panels provide areas of protection from the elements and prevent other animals such as cats and squirrels entering the aviary and stealing the owl’s food. The chasis for the two new mobile aviaries were supplied in kit form by Alko. The first was built with help from a representative from Alko who travelled to Devon from the Midlands. The second was built entirely by the Barn Owl Trust and David drew upon his experiences of using the original mobile aviary to create plans for the the new improved design. Construction was undertaken entirely in-house by the Barn Owl Trust.

One of the new release aviaries was completely funded by the William and Patricia Venton Charitable Trust, and grants from the Marjorie Coote Charitable Trust and the Valerie White Memorial Trust helped towards the cost of the second one.

Volunteering recognition for the Barn Owl Trust

The Barn Owl Trust were delighted to receive the ‘Highly Commended’ community project award from the University of Plymouth Students Union recently. The award celebrates the positive benefits of student volunteering, both for students and for the organisations they volunteer with.

A dedicated team have regularly visited the Trust to undertake practical outdoor work in the Lennon Legacy Project field; a habitat that supports an amazing variety of wild flowers, insects, birds and mammals, as well as resident Barn Owls.

Matthew Twiggs, Conservation Officer at the Trust said “The students' help has proved invaluable this year. As a small conservation charity we rely on the help of volunteers to enable us to manage the 26 acres of land here at the Trust. The work can be physically demanding and the weather isn’t always kind, but the students are always enthusiastic and keen to get ‘stuck in!”

The ‘Planners Guide’ is written by the Barn Owl Trust and funded and endorsed by Natural England. This innovative new document has taken two years to complete and aims to help both planners and applicants address their obligations to biodiversity (and therefore Barn Owls) by presenting information relevant to each party in a clear and concise format. The guide aims to dispel any mystery surrounding planning and biodiversity, and attempts to give standardisation to the planning process for all parties concerned.

David Ramsden, Head of Conservation at the Barn Owl Trust said “Barn conversions that don’t include barn owls are a major problem and there are so many sites where birds have been needlessly evicted. We are delighted with this new publication and believe the new guide ‘Barn Owls and Rural Planning Applications’ will help streamline the whole planning process whilst ensuring that the bird’s needs are taken fully into account. I would love to think that by simplifying the process, planners and applicants will be better able to protect Barn Owls at every stage of building works and ensure that permanent provision for the birds is incorporated into barn conversions”.

Photo: Carole Bowles of the Animal Defence Trust and Emma Birch of Naturesave Trust cut the recycled paper chain to officially open our new Owl Hospital.

April 2009

Owl Hospital officially open!

The Barn Owl Trust invited Carole Bowles of the Animal Defence Trust and Emma Birch of the Naturesave Trust to officially open their new owl hospital by cutting a recycled paper chain to mark the occasion. The Mayor of Ashburton, staff, trustees and project funders enjoyed a tour of the hospital and a brief talk by David Ramsden, Head of Conservation about the new facility and how it will benefit Barn Owls. The new owl hospital consists of a treatment room and four specialist hospital aviaries. The aviaries are designed for Owls that cannot fly at all through to a large outside aviary with plenty of flying space and an opening roof suitable for releasing a bird back into the wild.

The original treatment room and hospital aviary were built in 1998 and situated some distance from each other. Watching Conservation Officers walking between the two areas with a Barn Owl tucked under their jacket for safekeeping became a regular occurrence! The new facilities bring the Lennon Legacy Project barn, owl hospital and rehabilitation aviaries together in one location. This significantly improves the working environment for Conservation Officers and more importantly the Barn Owls that come to the Trust for care. David Ramsden MBE, said “Although the majority of the cost of building this facility was from core funds and legacy income we wanted to thank the Animal Defence Trust, the Naturesave Trust and other funders for grants towards this project by holding an official opening ceremony. We are really excited about the great new resource we have now to help rehabilitate and release Barn Owls”.

Visit our Slideshows

The Trusts website has over 70 different slideshows for you to view. Select the link on the right hand side of the page to see the list: Owl pictures, Barn Owls, Other Owls, Barn Owl prey and their signs, Signs of owls, Pellets, Barn Owl habitat, Hazards facing Barn Owls, Rehabilitation and sanctuary, Nestboxes, Nestbox construction, Nestbox erection, Barns, barn conversions and other nest sites, Lennon Legacy Project, Training and education and Other slideshows – enjoy.

March 2009

New Nestbox Grant

The Trust has received a grant from the John Spedan Lewis Foundation to enable us to erect ten nestboxes at sites in Devon. Most Barn Owl roosting or breeding sites in Devon are in old farm buildings as modern farm buildings are unsuitable and there are very few alternatives such as hollow trees. The stock of old farm buildings is being reduced through conversion and decay. The loss of just one roosting or breeding site can mean that Barn Owls will desert an entire area. The most effective way to ensure that there is adequate provision for Barn Owls is by providing nestboxes. Modern farm buildings and barn conversions can easily be made owl-friendly by installing nestboxes. It is particularly worthwhile to make provision in areas of good Barn Owl habitat. Thank you to the John Spedan Lewis Foundation from the Owls of Devon that will benefit from this grant.

Boost for Barn Owls in West - February 2009 Devon

The Barn Owl Trust has just announced the launch of a new project to increase Barn Owl numbers in West Devon thanks to significant funding from Biffaward and the Devon Bird Watching & Preservation Society. Dartmoor National Park, Devon County Council and West Devon Borough Council have also contributed.
The new scheme will focus on the area between Dartmoor and the River Tamar, as it was the only area to show a significant decline in Barn Owl numbers between the last two County surveys. The number of nest records fell from 16 in 1993 to only 2 in 2003, a decline of 87.5%. This was in marked contrast to the rest of Devon where numbers went up by an estimated 42% to be between 350-470 pairs. Good news for the County but not for West Devon.
David Ramsden MBE, Head of Conservation at the Barn Owl Trust said “The severe decline of Barn Owls in the area between West Dartmoor and the Tamar is something of a mystery and these beautiful birds really do need all the help they can get. The new project will provide free advice to landowners and farmers about creating areas of perfect Barn Owl habitat. We’ll also be erecting over a hundred new nest boxes and we’d be really pleased to hear from anyone who wants to get involved”.
Between 1997 and 2003 the Barn Owl Trust implemented similar schemes in the South Hams, Teignbridge, North and East Devon Districts’ and Barn Owl numbers did increase. It is hoped this will be the case with the Westmoor Barn Owl Scheme.
The Trust is appealing for anyone who has seen a Barn Owl within the boundary of Westmoor (the area between Plymouth and the A30, West Dartmoor and the Tamar) to get in touch on 01364 653026 or email info@barnowltrust.org.uk . The Trust is also keen to hear from landowners who are interested in having a nestbox erected and/or habitat advice.
“The fact that there are so few Barn Owls in the area means that increasing the numbers will be a huge challenge” said David, “If enough local people get involved and we can increase the owls food supply I’m sure the Westmoor Barn Owl Scheme will be a great success.”