Welcome to the Northants Bird Ringing Group

Welcome to the Northants Ringing Group's new Blog (click to read full post)

  It's aim is to highlight the activities of the group ringing over a wide variety of sites. Reports of ringing sessions will appear her...

Wednesday, 19 June 2024

Barn Owls at Sharnbrook

 Following on from last weeks success this morning we were again over the border, this time in Bedfordshire at Sharnbrook.

The Group had been contacted by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), who had themselves been contacted by Unilever in Sharnbrook, asking if we could review and possibly ring some Barn Owls in a box on the Unilever site.

We were guided to the site by Simon Wantling, from Unilver, and we were pleased to find four very healthy owlets in the box. These were all duly ringed and returned to the safety of their box. All disturbance and ringing is carried out under strict Schedule 1 licence requirements.

One of the Barn Owls after ringing.
All safely returned to their box.




Barn Owls at Olney Park Farm

 Last week, accompanied by Chris Payne and John Boland we checked seven Barn Owl boxes on Olney Park Farm, just over the Northamptonshire border in North Buckinghamshire.
Two of the boxes contained Barn Owls. The first had three owlets, which were duly ringed, and the second had a stunning female along with two owlets. The female was ringed although the owlets were too small at present and will require a further visit. All ringing is undertaken under strict Schedule 1 permit restrictions.

Three owlets after ringing.
Adult female Barn Owl.



Saturday, 15 June 2024

Althorp Barn Owls

 


The Althorp Barn Owls which were ringed on the 28th May are continuing to grow really well with very attentive parents with the male bird now taking on the major hunting of mice & voles. The female bird could very possibly be contemplating laying her second brood of eggs very soon, if not already. Having a 4G camera 24/7 in situ, has been great to watch the chicks progress since they hatched. I've watched recently as many as 14 feeds coming in one night & evidently they cash them to one side to eat later if the chicks were full. 

Its a busy time for Schedule1 ringers around the county at the moment & all with the necessary licences being held.

It's with the kind cooperation of Earl Spencer & the Althorp Estate Conservation Managers that I have been granted access to restricted areas on the estate to survey & supply new boxes to extend their coverage of Barn Owl boxes on the huge estate. Signs are looking very positive.