Barn Owl Appeal

Barn Owl 1993 (c) Eric Hosking OBE

Please support the Ulster Wildlife Trust’s 2012 Barn Owl Campaign

Eric Hosking, OBE who throughout his distinguished 60 year career became known as one of the world’s most eminent wildlife photographers said “In a lifetime of bird photography owls have brought me the greatest pleasure.” Here in Northern Ireland we have few native breeding owl species and certainly none as deeply rooted in Northern Irish culture as the Barn Owl. This makes the sad decline of this most stunning of birds all the more poignant.

A Magical Sight

I will never forget the first time I saw a barn owl. I was fourteen years old and it was a balmy moonlit evening in August. I had been out at a friend’s house in Limavady and was on my way home through the fields when suddenly, as if from nowhere this wonderful creature swooped down in front of me into the grass, and flew off again with its prey. The almost mystical glow that radiated from it when the moonlight illuminated the golden hue of its feathers was truly breath taking. Catching a glimpse of that hunting barn owl is a memory that has stayed with me ever since and was the beginnings of what I am sure will turn out to be a lifelong fascination.

The barn owl is truly one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic bird species, however its future is in serious doubt. Local populations of barn owls have significantly declined during the 20th Century. It is hard to calculate exact numbers at the present time, but many believe an estimate as low as 30 – 40 pairs is a fair assessment of the current status of the local barn owl population.

Habitat loss, destruction of nest sites in trees and old buildings and rodenticide use are the main factors for this decline. In 1984, post mortem results on dead Barn owls found 5% contained levels of rodenticides, in 2008 this had increased, albeit with a new methodology, to 81%. These are startling figures and a stark reminder of the dangers the bird faces in our environment today.

The ‘Farmer’s Friend’

This is all the more troubling when one takes into account how important the barn owl can be. Barn owls are also known as the ‘farmer’s friend’ due to the fact that they can consume up to four small rodents every day. What better, more natural form of pest control could there be? Barn owls can provide a significant service in keeping farmland rodent populations down for free.

Things are looking bad for the barn owl locally, but there are grounds for optimism. By employing small measures, we can make a massive difference. By surveying derelict buildings before demolition, maintaining hedgerows and grassy verges and controlling our use of rodenticide we can ensure that one of the finest wildlife spectacles in Northern Ireland can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Ulster Wildlife Trust 2012 Barn Owl Campaign

In 2012 the Ulster Wildlife Trust will be embarking on a major campaign to promote the welfare of barn owls.

• We will install barn owl boxes and monitor activity at them using remote cameras;
• We will train and support an ‘army’ of volunteers to carry out a barn owl survey across Northern Ireland.
• We will educate communities living in barn owl ‘hot spots’ about how to support their local population.
• We will also work with landowners to offer them free advice on practices that are beneficial to the barn owl population.

However to make these plans a reality, the Ulster Wildlife Trust needs your help. We are asking you to ‘stand up for nature’ by making a donation towards the Trust’s 2012 Barn Owl Campaign. It has been calculated that the Trust will need to secure £10,000 by January of 2012 to fund this programme, and we hope the public will be generous and will help us achieve this target.

As little as £25 will fund the installation of a barn owl box, whilst a donation of £250 would fund a programme of community engagement in a barn owl ‘hot spot’. However any level of donation big or small would be very gratefully received.

Thank You

Conor McKinney

Conor McKinney,Ulster Wildlife Trust’s Living Landscapes Manager
 

Please Note: The Ulster Wildlife Trust has set a fundraising target of £10,000 for the 2012 barn owl campaign. If the total amount received in donations for this campaign should exceed that amount or as the programme is delivered not all of the £10,000 is actually needed to fund the Barn Owl programme during 2012, we reserve the right to utilise any surplus for other purposes associated with the objects of our charity which are to protect local wildlife.

 

 

• View page as PDF
• Printer friendly version
• Share

• Accessibility
• Privacy Policy
• Contact Us
• Login
• Homepage Photo Credits

• Facebook
• RSS Feed

Working towards a healthy environment, rich in wildlife, valued by all

Ulster Wildlife Trust is a charity recognised by HM Revenue and Customs No. XN45269. A Company Limited by Gaurantee No. 12711

Website by Precedent