Trossachs barn owl numbers boosted by 'vole feast'

A massive increase in the number of field voles in the Trossachs is helping boost the barn owl population in the area, the national park has said.

Evidence last year indicated field vole numbers had swelled 10 times in Scotland - pushing their population into the hundreds of millions.

This was good news for barn owls, who hunt the tiny mammals.

Rangers in the Loch Lomond National Park said some of the owls had been stockpiling voles in nest boxes.

The national park started a project four years ago to increase the barn owl population in the area. Numbers of the nocturnal birds have started to decline because of changes in agricultural practices and more common use of pesticides.

Vole 'larders'

There are now 40 barn owl boxes on trees and in outbuildings and barns across the park, built with the help of Mike Steward, a retired Forestry Commission ranger.

Park ranger Steven Kenney said: "Despite a very cold winter and prolonged snow cover experienced in 2010, barn owls managed to breed, producing on average 3.3 owlets per breeding pair. Twelve out of 40 boxes were used for breeding, with many others used for roosting.

"In 2010, field vole numbers were also at a peak and resulted in a phenomenon that Mike and I had never come across before.

"I was helping Mike ring the owlets with my colleague Adam Samson and found that the owls were using some of the boxes as larders to store field voles. Some of the boxes had up to 15 dead voles stored."

Mr Kenney said a further 16 owlets had hatched last year.

Read on:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-17060399

Barn owls starving to death in the freeze

Snow fun for barn owls as numbers reported dying this winter grows

December 2010. The RSPB is receiving a growing number of calls from members of the public who have discovered dead barn owls recently. Although owls have been found dead in a range of locations, there has been a significant number found in barns and out-buildings.

Starving
Experts at the RSPB believe it is because the cold weather is making food almost impossible to find and the birds are dying of starvation within their roosting locations.

The wildlife charity is worried that the current big freeze can only make this situation worse and is appealing for vigilance where the birds are known to be roosting in the coming weeks.

Barn owls feed on small mammals like voles and mice, and with the ground frozen and covered in snow, this food is almost impossible to find.

Younger owls suffer most
The problem is likely to be most serious for barn owls born this year, that are less experienced at dealing with difficult conditions. It is thought that these first year birds will account for a high percentage of the mortality.

All owl death reports received so far are about barn owls, and the RSPB believes this is likely to be because they commonly live close to man, usually in out-houses, barns and farm buildings, so they are easier to notice.

Mark Thomas, RSPB Investigations Officer says: "We have been receiving a growing number of calls from people who have discovered dead barn owls in recent days and we believe it's because they are starving in the cold weather as the icy, snowy conditions make their main food sources like voles and mice much harder to find.

What to do?
"Although practically there is little that can be done to supplement the diets of barn owls, farmers and members of the public are encouraged to remain vigilant and report any sick or injured looking owls to a wildlife rescue centre immediately. It's very distressing for both the birds and the people who discover them, as they are beautiful and charismatic species of the British countryside.

"Prompt action could save the life of a starving bird and once they've been fed up they should soon be fit for release back in the original location."

Barn owls are most commonly seen at dusk, in open country, along field edges, riverbanks and roadside verges. They nest and roost in buildings found near these habitats, such as farm outbuildings and barns.

Despite the UK Barn owl population doing well in recent years, a high mortality event such as this could have serious conservation implications.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/barn-owls010.html

Barn owls starving to death in the freeze

Snow fun for barn owls as numbers reported dying this winter grows

December 2010. The RSPB is receiving a growing number of calls from members of the public who have discovered dead barn owls recently. Although owls have been found dead in a range of locations, there has been a significant number found in barns and out-buildings.

Starving
Experts at the RSPB believe it is because the cold weather is making food almost impossible to find and the birds are dying of starvation within their roosting locations.

The wildlife charity is worried that the current big freeze can only make this situation worse and is appealing for vigilance where the birds are known to be roosting in the coming weeks.

Barn owls feed on small mammals like voles and mice, and with the ground frozen and covered in snow, this food is almost impossible to find.

Younger owls suffer most
The problem is likely to be most serious for barn owls born this year, that are less experienced at dealing with difficult conditions. It is thought that these first year birds will account for a high percentage of the mortality.

All owl death reports received so far are about barn owls, and the RSPB believes this is likely to be because they commonly live close to man, usually in out-houses, barns and farm buildings, so they are easier to notice.

Mark Thomas, RSPB Investigations Officer says: "We have been receiving a growing number of calls from people who have discovered dead barn owls in recent days and we believe it's because they are starving in the cold weather as the icy, snowy conditions make their main food sources like voles and mice much harder to find.

What to do?
"Although practically there is little that can be done to supplement the diets of barn owls, farmers and members of the public are encouraged to remain vigilant and report any sick or injured looking owls to a wildlife rescue centre immediately. It's very distressing for both the birds and the people who discover them, as they are beautiful and charismatic species of the British countryside.

"Prompt action could save the life of a starving bird and once they've been fed up they should soon be fit for release back in the original location."

Barn owls are most commonly seen at dusk, in open country, along field edges, riverbanks and roadside verges. They nest and roost in buildings found near these habitats, such as farm outbuildings and barns.

Despite the UK Barn owl population doing well in recent years, a high mortality event such as this could have serious conservation implications.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/barn-owls010.html