Barn Owl nests

Barn Owl (female) found with 3 eggs

Last week's checking took the number of active barn owl nests in our boxes to seven, only two of which contained hatched chicks.

Some of the clutches were not yet complete, and one other box contained a pair that had not yet started egg laying.

Several of the nests are in boxes being used for the first time by birds that only hatched last year. Perhaps these nests partly explain the later nesting season this year.