Following last year's record breaking high number of Barn Owl nests and chicks, 2025 has turned out to be one of the poorest nesting years we've seen, and reminiscent of 2020.
Only 2 nest attempts were found across our project area, producing just 4 chicks.
It is thought that the very wet early spring followed by a very dry late spring/summer has severely constrained the vole population. This in turn has prevented barn owls from finding enough prey to breed.
With an average life expectancy of around 5 years, the Barn Owl population can sustain a few poor breeding years. So a single poor year is not itself a cause for concern.
