Barn Owls can nest in a variety of sites, once the basic criteria are met – undisturbed, dry, large enough to take a family of owls, and usually high enough to be out of the reach of ground predators. We've already seen some of the more unusual nest sites in Duhallow, such as the tree nests HERE, and HERE.
Around Ireland, the list of nest sites also includes old churches, derelict buildings of all types, quarries, chimneys, castles and more recently of course, nest boxes. But how about this one? Not quite in Duhallow, but not far from it either. The only Barn Owls we know of in Ireland that have chosen to nest in a water cistern… Filmed yesterday.
Barn Owl nest, in a water cistern, Co. Kerry, June 2012 (Filmed under licence from NPWS. M.O'Clery).
