A feast of fluffiness courtesy of accredited BTO bird ringer and owl man Captain Jerry Woodham ably assisted by Sheepdrove’s Mike Barker.
Apparently a breeding pair of barn owls needs around 1.5 ha of rough grass. Why?
Long rough grass provides year round shelter for insects in the base of tussocks, hollow stems and seed heads. Insects along with the seeds of wildflowers and grasses are the main food source for small mammals. Areas of long grass hide ‘runs’ for small mammals, create opportunities for nesting sites and link habitats such as hedgerows, woodland and scrub across the farm.
Small mammals are the main food source for barn owls, so leaving uncut long tussocky rough grass on field margins, along tracks, roadside verges and hedgerows across the farm is critical for our resident barn owls.
