Barn owl bonanza
This winter more visitors than ever are getting brilliant views of the barn owls at WWT Welney Wetland Centre. The iconic shape of these pale owls gliding over the ditches and grassy banks of the wetland reserve is something that people often hope to experience in the Fens.
The cold weather and longer nights at this time of year result in more daytime sightings of barn owls. They can be out as late as 10 o’clock in the morning, when they are finishing their night’s hunting and returning to their roosts. Some of the owls like to get a head start on the competition and are leaving their roosts as early as 2 o’clock.
A successful breeding season last summer means that there are more opportunities to see these beautiful birds of prey. Four pairs of barn owls bred in the area local to WWT Welney, at least two of these pairs managed to raise three broods of young. Visitors to the area are regularly seeing between six to eight individual owls.
Louise Clewley, WWT Welney Warden said:
“Catching sight of a barn owl is a moment that most people never forget. We’ve had a fantastic response from visitors on our facebook page who have managed to capture photos and video of the owls during their visits.
These graceful birds of prey, quietly concentrating on catching their next meal, often don’t notice us watching them. The open landscape and vantage points such as the bridge mean that these birds are easy to spot.”
The barn owls predominantly feed on small mammals such as voles, mice and shrews. A good year for the voles has had the knock-on effect of plentiful food for the local owls.
However, they don’t always manage to enjoy the rewards of their hard work. These skilled hunters are often targeted by other birds of prey who try to steal their prize. Visitors have managed to document kestrels and sparrowhawks both trying to steal food from the owls.
