Mid-winter, and a good time to install some more Barn Owl boxes. Below, the Rolls Royce of nest boxes, due to be trialled in Ireland this summer.
The box was made by the Acquired Brain Injury group in Castleisland, Co. Kerry, for placement at an outdoor site, attached to a tall wooden pole. This design has been successful in parts of Britain, especially in areas that have good hunting habitat for the owls, but no suitable indoor nest sites nearby.
Most Barn Owl nest boxes in Ireland are of the indoor type, as outdoor boxes are much more vulnerable to storms, they need outdoor materials (such as marine ply) and are thus more expensive to make.
