Barn Owls using chimneys

Around half of all known Barn Owl nest sites in Ireland are in chimneys, in disused or derelict houses, castles and mansions. Barn Owls can climb very well, and with the help of strong legs and wings they can scale a vertical stone surface relatively easily. 

Barn Owls often nest in derelict buildings and those types of buildings are a natural source of curiosity to Barn Owls and those trying to survey for Barn Owls. One of the more difficult nests to detect are in buildings where the Owls are actually nesting down the chimney. 

This is one such example and it was only a phone call from a curious neighbour which directed attention to the cottage. The owners had died some years before, but the neighbours were keeping it tidy and unknown to them, Barn Owls had moved in to the central chimney, nesting on top of the sticks of an old Jackdaws nest which had blocked the shaft.

An apparently occupied cottage, but with new tenants nesting in the chimney (Filmed under licence: M.O'Clery).

Here we can see the Barn Owl about eight feet (2.5m) down the chimney shaft. The slow, sideways swaying, partially opened wings and low hissing sound is the threat posture, to make the owl look bigger and more imposing to any potential predator, or Barn Owl surveyor.

Long-eared Owls suffer widespread breeding failure

As the Duhallow Raptor survey for Long-eared Owls winds down for this season, the results are stark. There has been a widespread breeding failure this year with only two chicks fledging from a single nest, from 14 known nest sites.

These results have been replicated elsewhere in the country with the breakdown roughly as follow:

Duhallow 14 sites, 2 chicks at 1 site.
Clare 1 site, no chicks
Connemara 2 sites, no chicks (though 3 eggs were laid in 1)
Dublin 4 sites, 1 chick.
Galway 5 sites, no chicks
Kerry (outside Duhallow) 5 sites, 1 chick.
Mayo 2 sites, no chicks
West Offaly 19 sites, 1 chick.

TOTAL 62 sites, with only 5 chicks at 4 sites.

Empty Long-eared Owl nest.

A perfect breeding site (an old Hooded Crow nest), high in a conifer, in perfect habitat, where a pair of Long-eared Owls have been displaying and holding territory all spring, only for the birds to eventually fall silent and cease their breeding attempt, a pattern repeated at many sites in Duhallow and all over the country (Photo: M.O'Clery).

The cause for the widespread failures are largely unknown, though it may be that the unusually cold spring was a major factor.

Owl paradise

We saw a small slice of owl paradise in an earlier post HERE, where a landowner, sympathetic to wildlife, has allowed some of his meadows near Newmarket to develop, resulting in an abundance of insect, wildflowers and small mammals. Kestrel, Long-eared Owl and Barn Owl all nest within a kilometre of these meadows.

Below, another slice of owl paradise can be seen. This site is in Co. Kerry, and the large fields, normally given over to grazing and silage, were bought by a wealthy landowner who has (for reasons unknown) not cut or grazed the grass in about 5 years. The result is a truly enormous area of habitat, perhaps 1.2km by 800m, unaffected by grazing, fertilizers, pesticides or mowing and it has become a wildlife paradise as a result.

Grassland, Co. Kerry (11th July 2013 (M.O'Clery).

During recent owl survey work, this area was checked and on both occasions, both Long-eared Owl and Barn Owl could be watched hunting over the grassland at dusk. One of the few places and occasions in Ireland where it is possible to see both species simultaneously.

A sure sign

Barn Owl pellets and 'whitewash' (droppings) (M.O'Clery).

This metal shed in a remote area of Co. Kerry has a long history of visits by Barn Owls. The line of white in the picture is under one of the beams in the shed where one or more Barn Owls have roosted. The accumulation of pellets and droppings tells us this site has been used by the owls for a considerable time, possible several years. It is rare indeed to see such an accumulation. There must surely be a nest somewhere nearby...

Peregrine versus Barn Owl

Peregrine Falcons have been doing well in the past decade, following a crash in the population in the 70s due to pesticide poisoning. Their recovery has been complete thankfully and they are now spreading into areas where they have not been known to breed before, particularly at inland sites. They need a cliff ledge on which to nest and quarries, church steeples, castles and other large structures have all been used in areas where no natural cliffs exist.

This castle site in Duhallow has long had Barn Owls present, but a search of the area yesterday also revealed the presence of a Peregrine Falcon. Although no bird was seen, the feathers and pellets were found under a roost site on the outer castle walls.

Moulted feathers and 'whitewash' below the castle walls (M.O'Clery).

Two Peregrine pellets,  containing the remains of birds' bones (bird bones are usually hollow) and feathers, very different from the larger, slightly glossy black pellets of Barn Owls which usually contain the fur and bones of small mammals (M.O'Clery).

Peregrine feathers and pellets, Duhallow (M. O'Clery).

(click on any of the images for a closer look)

Although Peregrines and Barn Owls can share the same site, the arrangement seems to be an uneasy one, and we know of cases in Ireland of Barn Owls disappearing from traditional sites shortly after the Peregrines moved in. Peregrines are a powerful and aggressive species and have little tolerance for other birds of prey near their nest site. In the Barn Owl's favour is the fact that they fly and hunt at night when any Peregrine at the site is tucked away at its roost.

First Barn Owl chicks of the season

The first Barn Owl chicks of this breeding season have been noted, at a known nest site in a castle in Duhallow. Have a listen to the sound on the clip.

Young Barn Owl chicks 'snoring' for food, Duhallow, 8th July 2013 (M.O'Clery).

This was recorded inside the castle late last night - not a place for the faint-hearted, or those with an over-active imagination.

There are at least two chicks, possibly three, and from the relatively weak volume, are probably about three weeks old. This site has produced the earliest broods of young owls in two of the last three seasons in Duhallow and Kerry, but this year are at least 4 weeks later than in any of the previous seasons. We will hopefully be ringing the chicks at this site in the coming weeks.

A rare sight, and a rare sound, this year

Survey work into Long-eared Owls in Duhallow this year is mostly completed, and it has become apparent that it has been a disastrous breeding season for this elusive and little known species. Of 13 sites where Long-eared Owls were present this spring, or nested last summer, none have yet produced any young. This stark figure has been reflected elsewhere in the country and when all nesting areas or active territories studied nationwide are added up, a total of 42 sites have produced only five chicks.

A rare sight - a young Long-eared Owl chick (Adrian Rooney).

We can only surmise that it was the unusually cold spring which accounted for the failed breeding. Long-eared Owls nest relatively early in the season, and the late spring may have suppressed numbers of their main prey small mammals and birds.

There is still hope that some chicks will yet appear at the study sites, and with an extraordinarily good forecast for the next week, a final all-out effort will be made to locate any calling young.

The 'squeaky gate' call is loud and persistant, and can be heard for up to a kilometre on calm  summer nights. If you hear one, please let us know (contact details HERE).

Have a listen. 

The recording(below) is the call of a Long-eared Owl chick, calling for their parents to bring them food. It can be surprisingly loud.

Copyright, David Marques. www.xeno-canto.org. Catalogue no. XC59710

Birds on the menu for hungry Kestrel chicks

Kestrel chicks, Co. Kerry (Filmed under licence: Michael O'Clery).

Two of the four Kestrel chicks in our Co. Kerry nestbox are just about fledged and have already left the nest box, though are hanging around outside (see post below). They are all still being fed by the parents at the nest box and in this clip we can see several food items being despatched by the two hungry youngsters still inside. First, one goes back to a small bird which is cached at the back of the box (probably either a young Grasshopper Warbler or a Meadow Pipit).

Soon after, one of the adults arrives with a 'prepared lunch', another, larger bird which has already been substantially plucked. Any guess as to which species this might be? Notice the chicks eat pretty much everything of the bird - head, feathers, legs and all.

Finally, just as the battery runs out on our camera, another prey delivery arrives to be snatched by one of the chicks, but from the size and colour, it looks to be a Bank Vole.

Thinking outside the box

Kestrel chicks, Co. Kerry, 1st July 2013 (Filmed under licence: Michael O'Clery).

Our nest box Kestrel chicks in Co. Kerry are nearly fully fledged. Two have now left and are hanging around outside and on top of the box. The two adventurers are both well capable of flying and were flying into nearby trees at times. The parents are still delivering food to the nest, so the fledglings seem reluctant to stray too far lest they miss a feed. Some footage of the two remaining chicks inside the box tomorrow.

Young Kestrels learning to deal with prey

Kestrel chicks in our nest box in Co. Kerry (filmed under licence: Michael O'Clery).

Here is an extended video of life in our Kestrel nest box, in Co. Kerry.

The camera lens has been partially, ahem, 'white-washed' by one of the chicks, but there are a number of intriguing behaviours to look out for.

Early on in the video, we can see two of the chicks making quick pouncing movements with one foot. This is practicing for when they will use such a technique to immobilise or injure any prey on the ground. They will also make small pounces onto imaginary prey, again rehearsal for the real thing in just a few weeks time.

There are a couple of bouts of wing flapping, and although their wings are not yet fully grown, this will help excercise and strengthen the wing muscles.

Also look out for 'mantling' behaviour. As a food item (looks like a Pygmy Shrew) is delivered to the nest box near the end of the clip, at about 04:25, the lucky chick at the front grabs it and quickly shields it from the other chicks by cloaking it with open wings. This behaviour starts as soon as the chicks are able to feed themselves and becomes ever more pronounced as they develop, and prevents one of the siblings from stealing their meal.

Incidentally, the adults no longer enter the box, but merely deliver prey to the entrance to the first chick to grab it. Blink and you'll miss it!

You can also see one of the chicks nibbling at a stalk (or bit of feather?) but note how they can use their foot to manipulate potential food items.