Dedicated team helps create new breeding spaces

WWT Washington's reserve team repair and prepare owl boxes ahead of breeding season, with support from dedicated volunteer Ellie.

During the winter our reserve team spend time preparing for the breeding season ahead. Part of this includes repairing nest boxes that are in need of some TLC, or introducing new nest boxes.

The reserve at WWT Washington attracts a huge number of breeding birds during spring. Two larger birds that have had success breeding and raising young here are the tawny owl and common kestrel - both amber-listed species.

Nest boxes are a fantastic way of encouraging breeding behaviour around our wetlands and woodlands, and our reserve team take every opportunity to support this behaviour, but it's essential that they're monitored and maintained to a high standard.

To do this, the team start by emptying the larger owl and kestrel boxes of any debris or leaf litter that may have built up from the previous seasons, checking that the boxes are still fit for purpose and up to the potential task of homing young birds in their first early days and weeks of life.

If too worn and beyond repair, the team often install new boxes where needed. As part of this, our Sunday reserve volunteer Ellie has undertaken a personal project and over the course of the last year has built a huge owl box, in-between helping with all the other habitat management and visitor engagement activities we undertake on the reserve!

Ellie has independently taken on this challenge, learning how to use new tools, overcoming construction challenges and improving the design herself, all to produce a wonderful owl box - or mansion should we say - its the largest one we have on site!

Ellie added the finishing touches with some woodchip in the box, so prospecting birds can create their own space for laying eggs. Should we get some new residents interested in this prime owl real-estate, the hope is that the access hatch on the front will provide future opportunities for bird ringing of any young, supporting the research and conservation of these species.

Having never built an owl box before, this was an excellent achievement for Ellie. In the later stages of construction, Ellie was support by reserve placement student, Matt in putting the final pieces together and also Stephen, our wonderful handyman volunteer. They all pulled together in a team effort to get the owl mansion attached to the chosen tree in a top secret location on the reserve - and a true testament to the amazing volunteers and placements we have here at Washington!

Let's see what this breeding season has in store for these fantastic birds!

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