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This land has always felt right for barn owls.

Open pasture, rough grass, vole-rich margins and quiet woodland edges create exactly the kind of landscape barn owls naturally seek out. Around three years ago, that instinct turned into action when the first barn owl boxes were installed here. There was no plan for photography, no visitors in mind — just a simple intention to provide safe, dry places for owls to roost and, if they chose, one day breed.

 

As with all wildlife projects, there were no expectations. Only patience.

 

Since those first boxes went up, the focus has been on habitat first. The grass is allowed to grow long and uneven to support field voles. Areas are lightly managed rather than intensively cut. Natural perches remain, and wet ground is accepted as part of a healthy ecosystem rather than something to drain away. Everything is done with one clear goal: to make the land work for wildlife, not the other way around.

 

Over time, the signs began to appear. Whitewash beneath box entrances. Feathers on posts. Pellets scattered below roosts. Trail camera footage followed — barn owls flying the field, perching, investigating boxes, and gradually settling into a regular rhythm of use.

 

In recent months, activity has increased noticeably. Multiple boxes across the site are now being used for roosting, sometimes by a single bird and at other times by both the male and female together. They move naturally between boxes, which is exactly what you hope to see — owls that feel relaxed enough to choose between suitable spaces rather than being funnelled into one place.

 

There have been moments that really underline this growing sense of belonging. Both owls standing together on box trays. Soft contact calls from inside boxes. Beak-locking behaviour that signals pair bonding. Fresh pellets beneath the majority of boxes. On one memorable night, even a tawny owl investigating a box was quickly discouraged when it realised a barn owl was already inside — a quiet but clear sign of confidence and territory.

 

Whether these owls go on to breed here this season or not is entirely their decision. Nature never offers guarantees. But their continued presence, repeated roosting, and increasing familiarity with the site already feels like a success in itself. The aim has never been to attract barn owls quickly — it has been to give them every reason to stay.

 

This approach mirrors everything else on the land. The barn owls and the kingfishers here share something important in common: neither were rushed. Both arrived because the conditions were right, not because behaviour was forced. Routine was allowed to form naturally, with careful observation and minimal disturbance, rather than chasing short-term results.

 

As the site continues to develop, my long-term hope is to one day offer guided barn owl photography workshops here — run ethically, in small numbers, and only if it can be done without impacting the owls’ natural behaviour. If that becomes possible, it will be because the owls chose this place first.

 

Until then, this remains an ongoing project rooted in patience and learning— watching something wild slowly decide that it belongs.

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Owl Welfare Comes First

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The barn owls on this land are not here for photography — they are here because the habitat suits them, and that will always come first.

 

These boxes were installed years ago as part of a long-term effort to support barn owls through habitat management, careful land stewardship, and minimal disturbance. Only now, as the owls begin to settle and use the site regularly, am I starting to share parts of their story.

 

At every stage, the welfare of the owls takes priority over access, images, or opportunity. Nest sites are never disturbed, boxes are not checked during sensitive periods, and activity is monitored discreetly and responsibly. If at any point owl behaviour suggests stress or risk, activity around them stops — without exception.

 

My long-term hope is to one day offer guided, ethical barn owl experiences that focus on understanding, respect, and conservation rather than guaranteed sightings. Any future opportunities will always be limited, carefully managed, and led by the owls themselves.