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Barn Owl Box: Difference between revisions
→Watching the Owls
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The day after we fitted the new box to the tree, we discover one of our cats sitting right on top of the owl box. This was something we needed to address urgently. The tree the box is in is at the edge of the copse and no other trees are near enough to allow predators to jump from tree to tree so we mounted shuttering halfway between the ground and the owl box so although predator could climb the tree they could not get past the shuttering. While owls may be prey to buzzards and hawks and maybe foxes, I think in the United Kingdom cats are the only threat to owls once they are safely in the box. Just be aware of this threat when choosing a spot for your barn owl box. | The day after we fitted the new box to the tree, we discover one of our cats sitting right on top of the owl box. This was something we needed to address urgently. The tree the box is in is at the edge of the copse and no other trees are near enough to allow predators to jump from tree to tree so we mounted shuttering halfway between the ground and the owl box so although predator could climb the tree they could not get past the shuttering. While owls may be prey to buzzards and hawks and maybe foxes, I think in the United Kingdom cats are the only threat to owls once they are safely in the box. Just be aware of this threat when choosing a spot for your barn owl box. | ||
===Watching the Owls=== | ===Watching the Barn Owls=== | ||
=====Not a portable wildlife camera===== | =====Not a portable wildlife camera===== | ||
I've not had great deal of success with the portable wildlife cameras currently available, they need to be really close to the owl box to records reasonable pictures especially at night, on most of the portable wildlife cameras that I'm aware of the batteries need to be changed regularly and to replay recordings, the memory card needs to be taken out of the camera. This means getting really close to the owl box and the owls, which I am very reluctant to do. Another problem is that the recordings are triggered by motion detection, in a tree lined copse, especially when in leaf, the camera is likely to be triggered constantly. | I've not had great deal of success with the portable wildlife cameras currently available, they need to be really close to the owl box to records reasonable pictures especially at night, on most of the portable wildlife cameras that I'm aware of the batteries need to be changed regularly and to replay recordings, the memory card needs to be taken out of the camera. This means getting really close to the owl box and the owls, which I am very reluctant to do. Another problem is that the recordings are triggered by motion detection, in a tree lined copse, especially when in leaf, the camera is likely to be triggered constantly. | ||
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=====A hard-wired video camera===== | =====A hard-wired video camera===== | ||
We have an IP security camera system which uses cheap CAT5 network cable to connect the cameras. This powers the camera and carries the video and sound back to the recorder. It should easily be able to run at distances of 100 metres (300 feet). The security camera system records constantly and recordings can be accessed by a networked PC or even a mobile phone. | We have an IP security camera system which uses cheap CAT5 network cable to connect the cameras. This powers the camera and carries the video and sound back to the recorder. It should easily be able to run at distances of 100 metres (300 feet). The security camera system records constantly and recordings can be accessed by a networked PC or even a mobile phone. | ||
It's not a trivial system to setup but it does give fabulous results - we can even sit indoors of an evening and watch the owls on TV. Much better than watching TV. | It's not a trivial system to setup but it does give fabulous results - we can even sit indoors of an evening and watch the owls on TV. Much better than watching TV. | ||
The video below shows our nesting pair doing a bit of synchronised flying - unfortunately there's no sound on this vidoe as exprecince has shown they probably screech during this flying encounter. | |||
=====Barn Owl Synchronised Pair Video===== | =====Barn Owl Synchronised Pair Video===== | ||
<YouTube>https://youtu.be/gIiATdETEbI</YouTube> | <YouTube>https://youtu.be/gIiATdETEbI</YouTube> | ||
You could also use a security system like this to record owls actually in the box with the young. Just make sure you install it before you mount the box in the tree and it becomes occupied! | |||
=====Evidence that you have Barn Owls===== | =====Evidence that you have Barn Owls===== | ||
[[Image:White scat from barn owls.jpg|300px|thumb|right|A barn owl has been sitting above here!]] | |||
When we did our [https://www.churchfarmstowbardolph.co.uk/activity/nature-walks/ evening nature walk with Nigel, a local gamekeeper from Church Farms, Stow Bardolph] he showed us underneath where barn owls had been perching. | |||
Their scat or faeces is very white, almost chalky due to the high protean carnivorous diet. Look around the ground under trees near you owl box for evidence of this - it's pretty obvious once you spot it. | |||
===Progress of the Young Owl Fledglings=== | ===Progress of the Young Owl Fledglings=== | ||