This year has proved a resounding success for our barn owl conservation area with more young found in our boxes than ever before. Each summer when the time is right, our specialist licenced team visit all boxes to establish which ones have young in and then revisit all of these later to ring and record the occupants. This year we have recorded 45 barn owl chicks and 7 kestrel chicks on these visits. We also found a large number of adult birds either within the boxes or in nearby ones providing food for their offspring.

Although breeding success is dependent on many factors including weather and the availability of prey, our project has provided a large number of boxes over 14 rural settlements in areas that have a surrounding habitat suitable to sustain them. This has provided an area of sanctuary which provides them with shelter, food and breeding opportunities. Last winter our maintenance check found 22 adults roosting in these boxes. These have become a lifeline which has helped to restore the previously dwindling population as natural sheltering opportunities have become increasingly scarce. The presence of kestrel young in some of the boxes is a welcome addition as these birds of prey are also experiencing the same survival difficulties.

This success offsets the months of hard work undertaken by the team each year to clean and maintain the boxes, perform initial breeding checks and finally return to weigh, ring, measure, sex and record the emerging young population. It is a labour of love which is reaping encouraging rewards and we are grateful to all team members who give their time so generously.

 

This is one of  this year’s successful boxes mounted in a rural location with perfect adjacent habitat to sustain breeding barn owls.

 

  These are some of the many young barn owls found in our boxes this year.

 

They varied considerably in size.

 

Young kestrels also made homes in them. They make more of a mess than barn owls (note the wall splashes) but we are always pleased to see them. 

 

Often it is not immediately evident how many chicks are in residence as they huddle together and we often find more than we thought when we return to ring them.

 

Recording is done when they reach a sufficient size.  

 

All handling is gently and carefully done by licenced team members to minimise stress to the birds before they are safely returned to their boxes.

 

Our work at Pond Lye SNCI has currently ceased to allow the meadow and it’s indigenous wildlife to flourish during the summer months. This has resulted in a magnificent floral display from the species that exist there.

The only work that continues is the weekly return of a volunteer to cut off any thistles before they seed to prevent complaints from neighbouring properties. Work will resume in the late summer to undertake the annual meadow cut. Below are some of the pictures of the meadow in all its natural glory which sustains a multitude of wildlife species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work to improve the meadow at Pond Lye SNCI is continuing. Having completed the brush clearance to expose the meadow to its original boundaries we are now concentrating our attention on improving its quality. This will hopefully allow the return of the distinctive flora species that existed when it was awarded SNCI status in 1992. Volunteers have been working hard to remove excessive ragwort and thistle whilst containing and reducing blackthorn and bramble regrowth in the cleared area. Due to the large size of the meadow, this will be an on-going task for many years until the desired outcome is achieved.

Recently we were joined by conservation volunteers from Brighton who helped with this task and removed hundreds of ragwort and thistle plants with us. These were promptly disposed of on a bonfire. This was a significant help to us and we are very grateful for their assistance. Due to the quantity of such species we can only clear a limited section each year. Those plants remaining therefore have to be cropped before they seed to prevent another wave of seedlings beginning next year. This is especially important with the vigorous spread of thistles and we are attending regularly to keep them in check.

We were recently joined by conservation volunteers from Brighton to assist us.

 

Ragwort and thistles were removed from a large area.

 

All removed plants were quickly burnt.

 

The Woodland, Flora & Fauna Group held a fund raising open day in an area of countryside in Sayers Common on 6th May with the kind permission of the landowners. The day was exceptionally warm, the bluebells in the woodland were at their best and the refreshments provided afterwards by the owners were excellent. Many people attended and took part in the guided walks around the woodland and surrounding fields to witness the nature conservation work undertaken by the group over many years.

The fragrance of the bluebells permeated the woodland as the attendees toured the woodland pond, observed bat boxes and tawny owl box in the area, saw frog breeding ponds and dormice investigation tubes, peered under reptile mats and witnessed the barn owl boxes in surrounding fields. There was also a friendly cuckoo calling loudly in the woods which added value to the experience.

All attendees appeared to enjoy the afternoon and found it rewarding. They also generously contributed donations towards our work and have succeeded in boosting our funds considerably. It appears to have been a valuable experience for all and one which we are very grateful to the landowners for allowing and working hard to help make it a success.

 

The bluebells were magnificent and their aroma filled the woodland.

Attendees begin to gather around the woodland pond…

…to appreciate the work done to clear it….

…and then proceed on a walk through the woodland admiring the natural beauty as they proceed.

Here they pause beneath a barn owl box to learn about the group’s work…

…before returning back to the refreshment area where the landowners had provided some delicious food and drink to end an enjoyable day.

 

 

                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

Our group is progressively investigating all local woodlands to discover whether they have a dormouse presence. This was started many years ago and has been progressing each year with a further one or two woodlands annually having temporary dormouse tubes fitted. Where a presence is found permanent boxes will be fitted. This year, having fitted some boxes already in previously researched locations, we have continued the investigation and included a further two woodlands in the project. Approximately 50 tubes have been installed in each woodland and these will be checked throughout the summer and autumn. A dedicated team of volunteers have been undertaking the work and choosing the most suitable mounting locations in each area. The task takes a lot of time for both the installation and subsequent monitoring but will hopefully result in assisting the species to survive as they are now endangered.

 

Volunteers mount dormouse investigation tubes in more woodlands.