A blog to share barn owl and other wildlife and general news about the Retreat and its environment.
Stock dove investigating the barn owl box
15. March 2026, Wildlife
In the Spring, it is not only barn owls who are looking for large cavities which they can use for nesting.
Stock doves can also use such spaces, and it is not unusual for stock doves to take over barn owl nest boxes. It happened here in 2022 and each year the doves visit the box repeatedly with a view to taking it for nesting.
Even when the box is occupied by a roosting owl the doves are not scared off. They will perch on the entrance peering into the box, and on occasion they have entered the box even when there is an owl there. If the box is unoccupied when they they may enter to explore, with the risk that they may start nesting and deter the owls.
Barn owl inspects the camera!
28. February 2026, Wildlife
This barn owl seems to have been making a close inspection of the camera attached to the owlbox ledge.
Our cameras have ‘no-glow’/'low-glow' 940nm infrared lighting at night. In dim nightime conditions there is a slight red glow visible but it doesn't seem to deter the owls.
Tawny owl and kestrel using a security light as a perch
13. February 2026, Wildlife
We have noticed a lot of droppings below some of our motion-sensitive PIR floodlights. This light has a camera just above it and we often get sight of what is perching there.
Often it is a kestrel, choosing which light to roost on overnight depending the direction of the wind and rain. On another occasion we caught a tawny owl perching there.
More text/images... Tawny owl and kestrel using a security light as a perch
Barn owls nuzzling - a courtship behaviour
17. January 2026, Wildlife
Generally over the winter it is the female barn owl who visits the box and may roost in it during daytime.
Here we see the male visiting too, and the pair displaying nuzzling, a courtship behaviour.
Female kestrel perching on a snowy barn owl box
04. January 2026, Wildlife
The kestrels don't migrate elsewhere for winter and are here all year round.
Unlike the barn owls who can hunt voles through a blanket of snow, kestrels can have difficulty finding food when it is snowy. They will sometimes attack barn owls in the air who are carrying prey, and sometimes they will succeed in stealing the food from the owl.
Barn owl vs Tawny owl confrontation
30. December 2025, Wildlife
As a Barn owl returned to her roosting box she was followed by a Tawny owl.
She clearly considered this as a threat. She managed to get safely into the box and the tawny just flew away.
Watch the video on our youtube channel.
Female kestrel launches from the barn owl box
30. August 2025, Wildlife
A tawny owl brings its prey to the barn owl nest box
23. August 2025, Wildlife
A tawny brings its mouse prey to our barn owl nest box and perches with it on the ‘branch’ (a piece of timber installed to hold a camera but which is also popular with the owls as perching branch)
Our barn owlets have all dispersed and so the nest box is currently unoccupied. The tawny owl did not attempt to enter the box and flew away after about 30 seconds, but not before making a close up inspection of the camera on the “branch”.
More text/images... A tawny owl brings its prey to the barn owl nest box
All four barn owlets have fledged successfully
02. August 2025, Wildlife
We had four eggs laid. All four hatched and all four owlets have grown and fledged successfully.
This morning there are no owlets roosting in the box. Last night one owlet was on the ledge but had to go hunting for itself as, for the first time, no parent brought any prey to feed it.
Over the last few days occupancy has been intermittent, and it is possible that one or even two of them may visit over the next few days, but soon they will be dispersing away from this area to find an unoccupied territory that they can make their own.
We have enjoyed seeing them all flying around the area, and perching on the ledge, between dusk and dawn for the last few weeks. Until next year…
More text/images... All four barn owlets have fledged successfully
The Canada goslings have grown up, now with adult plumage
02. August 2025, Wildlife
The Canada goslings have grown quickly, and the photos from yesterday show that at 55 days old their plumage is now very similar to the adult Canada geese.
It appears that one of the original six goslings has been lost, but the remaining five have grown well.
More text/images... The Canada goslings have grown up, now with adult plumage
