Little Green Space
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Little Green Space |
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| Barn Owl Project
Thursday 27 March 2008
Little Green Space's Barn Owl Project has now started. We aim to attract barn owls to the site at Hackney Leys by providing them with nesting and roosting sites. Hackney Leys is an ideal hunting ground for barn owls: long, tussucky, ungrazed grass with hedgerows of wild bramble provide a great habitat for voles - a barn owl's favourite food. Barn owls have suffered badly in recent years, with a decrease in their population of at least 70% All of the reasons for this decline are caused by human activity. Intensive farming has led to a loss of foraging habitat, and suitable nesting sites are becoming scarce as old barns are demolished or converted to housing. Extreme weather conditions created by climate change and use of poisons are also taking their toll on the barn owl population. Our first nest box for barn owls will be erected this weekend, and we will continue to maintain the wild hay meadow habitat that is so vital for the survival of the barn owl. If successful, we will continue to work on other sites to help barn owls to thrive in the Peak District. We bought our barn owl nest box from Ladygrove Feeds of Two Dales (01629 733342). We would like to thank them for their support with this project. If you would like to take action to help wild birds, Ladygrove Feeds has a good range of nesting boxes, feeders and bird food. Our Ornithology Advisor Ken Dykes has more advice on attracting barn owls to land near you.
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