A Trip Out With Ben…….

I met up with Ben after work in Rackham to check two barn owl boxes. After the rain on and off throughout the day the evening was clear and warm and we wandered around the edge of the Amberley Wild Brooks towards the boxes.

The boxes were set along a field edge on sturdy trees and over looked a beautiful natural meadow with swallows and house Martin's skimming the tops of the tall grasses.

Ben set the ladder against the tree of the first box and just as the ladder settled two adult Barn Owls flew out of the box. The box was too high to get a stopper to unfortunately. Ben checked the box but ont his occasion there was no sign of any breeding attempt. We asked the landowners to keep an eye just incase they decide to nest a little later, or maybe they have chicks in another box nearby.

We trotted over to the second box which had Kestrels breeding in it. Earlier on int he day a kestrel was seen sitting in the nest box hole. As we approached this box there was a din in the tree next to it and we spotted four recently fledged Kestrels.

I checked the box and found a very old cold barn owl egg which we discarded and whitewash along the back of the box.

Such a stunning location here over looking the Wild Brooks with fabulous habitat for voles and mice.

While it is unusual for Kestrels to have a second brood, if they breed early enough they may have another try.

Ben and I wandered back towards the car and saw the White Tailed Eagle sat in its favourite tree (some way away).