Barnie Boxing Day

Sunday morning was a day I had long been waiting for, to finally put into position the first two Barn Owl boxes. Yes this post is a little late being published but some gremlins have sneaked their way into my PC and caused havoc.

Anyway, back to the boxes. The selected area was a very quiet and private strip of land  near to Lubbesthorpe, just west of Leicester. An idea location for Barn Owl, there's a plentiful supply of narrow marginal strips around the field edges, loads of ditches and hedgerows and a small meandering stream, all in all making it an excellent hunting and breeding area for Barn Owls. Within the chosen location there is also a scattering of mature isolated trees that make superb nest box locations. 

Colin Green was again my chosen victim, no sorry my assistant for the day. Colin has been a real gem of late, he has supported my scheme with great enthusiasm and has helped with sourcing materials, making the boxes and putting them up, I guess he sort of does everything!!!! The only real downside is his singing, its not the best of quality (sort of x factor out in the first round standard) and he never stops.......arrrrghhhhh!!!

The first box, nearly complete with a "delightful" rendition of Meat Loaf and Bat Out Of Hell!!  

There was a bit of a delay taking the final picture though, Col had dropped a five pence piece and spent an age looking for it, he said he heard it drop!!!! 

In no time at all we were onto the second box, still in the same area just a few hundred yards away from the first. We have been expertly advised that a breeding pair will require a couple of boxes, one to breed in and one to roost in. 

Here you can see Col hard at it again, but note the second ladder. That was so I could go up and keep a watchful eye on the proceedings and to advise accordingly!!!

Yes I was there too, granted looking a bit of a tit in my woolly hat but it was bloody freezing. I can be seen here doing the final quality control check, I wasn't just there to take photos you know!

Box No 2 in its final resting place, fingers crossed now for some occupancy very very soon.

Again a massive thank you to everyone who has so far helped with the donations towards the boxes, it is hoped you can see we are putting it to good use????

A fine pair of whoppers!

After what seems an age my Barn Owl box project gathered some significant momentum today, after all the fund raising, meetings with other projects and site surveys Colin Green and myself finally got down to work making the first two boxes, it was bitterly cold, so cold in fact that the wood preserve had frozen! So being indoors was a must, thankfully my good mate Paul Taylor kindly let us use his engineering shop for the morning.

Work got underway around 10.00am, Colin was straight into it with great eagerness, and his speed didn't let up at all for the whole morning, as long as the coffee kept coming that is!!  

Doing the marking out.   

Yes I was confused as well, but I dare not ask!!!

Man on a mission.......Cutting out.

The assembly starts.

Looking good now, Colin screwing the final pieces together.

Yours truly slapping on the wood stain.

A few hours later they were completed, a fine pair of whoppers.

It had been a good productive morning although it took a little longer than we anticipated, I'm sure the next few we make will take half the time. A couple more coats of wood preserve will be slapped on during the week and then all being well both boxes will be put up next weekend. These are just the first two boxes of many, and these wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for all the kind folk who have made donations or purchased one of my Little Owl calendars, your help is very much appreciated, a MASSIVE thank you from both Colin and myself........and of course the Owls! 

Whilst on the drive back home a suspicious looking blob was seen in a roadside tree, after a quick emergency stop and reverse we got out to investigate further. Oh yes a Little Owl and new site No 137!!!

Sadly I didn't have my zoom lens with me today so no close up image was possible, I had to do with taking this image from the car, can you see the owl?

This is the same image as above but the centre portion has been blown up, really poor quality I know but the head and shoulders of the owl can just be made out on the right hand side of the hole in the centre of the image.

I wasn't going to improve on the Little Owl image with the kit I'd got with me so it was time to go, just as I got back into the car a Barn Owl flew straight across in front of me, OMG!!!!! In an instant I jumped out and rattled off a few shots before it disappeared into a nearby wood.

Sadly all I got of the Barn Owl was this distant rear end view

What with new Little Owl & Barn Owl sites at the same location, guess where I will be going soon........?