A Late Brood on The Leconfield Estate….

Dominic and I headed up to Petworth after a call from the Land Agent Fred explaining her had a a report of noises coming from a Barn Owl box in an old converted stable.

I used to check this box with Barry Watson (my mentor) and I think I last saw this particular box in 2018. The owner reports they have Barn Owls every year since. He also described a pile of pellets and white wash under the box. Particularly in the back of his flatbed Landrover which he uses daily and parks underneath the box.

Dominic and I headed up to see him and his wife and their lovely old Golden Retriever (who accepted a couple of treats from the store in my car).

The stable is surrounded by wild grass meadows and farmland with a small woodland area over the back so it has a lot of potential. In fact previously there were Little Owls breeding here (they probably still do). When we arrived a pair of Buzzards were circling overhead calling.

As Dominic put the ladder up on the roof cross beam to secure it and climbed the ladder we could clearly hear hissing from inside the box.

3 Barn Owlets ringed under licence yesterday on The Leconfield Estate

The owlets were all weighed, measured and ringed and seemed to be well fed with a field mouse waiting for them on the owl box ledge. This appears to be a second brood in this box as the owner reported owls in and out all summer. These three female owlets were all around 30-36 days old.

Once ringed they were returned to their suprisingly clean box and hopefully we will encounter them in the future.

Thanks as always to The Leconfield Estate for making us so welcome.