Twit Twoo

One of the most majestic creatures in a woodland must be the owl. It'a got the lot. Cute fluffy chicks, a stealthy killer and swivelling head to keep it's oh so good eyes trained on it's next victim. Good hearing apparently too despite not having much visible in the way of ear lugs like us humans. It's hard not to admire any top predator. Unless you happen to be fluffy and snack sized.

 As part of a desire to support a diverse mix of wildlife in the woodland I wanted to install some owl boxes. My father kindly built me two as a christmas present using specs from the RSPB and I've put them at opposite ends of my wood.



They are actually big boxes on a big tree. This proved a little cumbersome on the ladder but were eventually hoisted up. I don't think they are being used yet but I'll have an inspection of the boxes after the nesting season to see if they are active. My neighbour has seen tawny's flying around but it might take a couple of years before they get residents.

I'm no twitcher but I believe the British owls include Tawny, Barn, Long Eared, Short Eared and the Little Owl. The Tawny seems to be the most common. I'm keen to track down for sure what's living in the wood. Just maybe the now rare Barn Owl might take up residence or perhaps the elusive Long Eared Owl hunts from the wood.