Barn Owls in the Deverill Valley

Barn owls have long been monitored and the young ringed in the Deverill Valley by Major Nigel Lewis CBE, Barn Owl Conservation Network Advisor for Wiltshire. Over the years Nigel has put up many boxes. One day in Autumn 2013 while out with his team of helpers he remarked “It is not only barn owls that need help, kestrels and little owls need a hand” and so the Deverill Raptor and Owl Group [DROG] was born.

The Group’s purpose is to provide nest boxes for owls and raptors of conservation concern in the Deverill Valley. Just before Christmas, 15 boxes were made and erected, 10 kestrel, 3 little owl, one tawny [not an owl of conservation concern but the box provided an interesting challenge for the carpenter] and one barn owl box to supplement the Deverill’s existing boxes.

Funding from Watermark, Wessex Water

DROG has been lucky enough to receive funding from Watermark, Wessex Water’s charity for the cost of materials for the new boxes.

2012 and 2013 had been disastrous years for barn owls with numbers crashing to an all time low. Fortunately 2014 is proving better and so far 21 young barn owls and six tawnies have been ringed in the Deverills; second broods are still being monitored. Our new boxes have been successful with barn owls and tawnies [one tawny raising four young in a kestrel box] and we are looking forward to similar success with kestrels and little owls in the future.

Tracy Adams, Farmland Bird Adviser for the Cranborne Chase AONB has been working with Alison Rymell of DROG  for three years to check and maintain tree sparrow nest boxes across the Deverill Valley. She is also working with Major Nigel Lewis in the Wylye Valley to increase the number of ban owl and kestrel boxes using more funding from Wessex Water as part of their Corfe Mullen to Salisbury Pipeline Scheme.