News Bytes – October 2023
These news bytes have appeared on our social media sites, Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter and Instagram during the month and have been pulled together here.
One of the prizes in our Christmas Draw this year is tickets to the Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary and Buckfast Butterfly Farm
Prize Draw tickets and info is here!
A warm welcome awaits at this small, friendly, family run South Devon attraction that is ideal for a family visit whatever the weather. They provide an enjoyable, educational and thought-provoking visit to the otters and butterflies in a gorgeous setting. They have kindly donated an entry ticket for two people for the Christmas prize draw
The Barn Owl’s beautiful heart-shaped face (its facial disk) collects and directs sound toward the inner ears. The ear openings are situated inside the facial disk, just behind the eyes, are different shapes and one is higher than the other. This means that sounds reaching the ears are heard differently, which helps the owl’s brain work out the exact position of the sound source and this link will show you some adaptions.
This beautiful photo, taken by Mark Harder, features as the April image in our 2024 calendar! The calendar is now available for £8 +p&p on our website – click here to buy.
Thank you so much for your support Mark https://www.mlharderphoto.com/
We have plenty of food and drink related prizes available in our Christmas Prize Draw this year! Including restaurant vouchers, soft drinks, wine, and wine tasting tickets!
Here’s the information for the Prize Draw
RAFIKIS – brunch for two!
Rafikis is an independent veggie and vegan café bar in Ashburton Devon, serving delicious food made from scratch in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Priding themselves on their sense of community and adaptability, they provided a lifeline during lockdown and now offer a tasty and varied menu in their friendly café. They have kindly donated brunch for two people for the Christmas prize draw this year. https://rafikis.co.uk/
THE BARN OWL INN – £50 voucher!
A traditional, cosy and characterful English Inn situated on the edge of rolling countryside, offering a warm welcome, a great selection of drinks and locally sourced fresh food. They are passionate about supporting local growers and producers and also offer seven en-suite rooms making for a truly comfortable stay. They have kindly donated a £50 voucher for the restaurant for our Christmas prize draw this year. https://www.barnowlkingskerswell.co.uk/
CREEPING THYME RESTAURANT – £20 voucher!
A small, intimate, award-winning restaurant in Bovey Tracey on the edge of Dartmoor, Creeping Thyme aims to serve fresh, local and good quality food using as many small and local companies as possible. They do this in a calm, relaxing environment and already have a Taste of the West silver award 2022 and an AA Rosette Award for culinary excellence 2022. They have kindly donated a £20 voucher for the Christmas prize draw this year. https://www.creepingthyme.co.uk/
LUSCOMBE DRINKS – soft drinks!
Luscombe are passionate about making the very best tasting organic drinks, sourcing organic whole fruits from growers around the world and blending them with Dartmoor spring water drawn on the farm where the drinks are made. They have a Royal Warrant and 90 Great Taste Awards from the Guild of Fine Food. They have kindly donated a pack of 4 soft drinks for the Christmas prize draw. https://luscombe.co.uk/
LBW DRINKS – fruit wine!
Lime Bay Winery is the home of LBW Drinks. They are a small but dedicated company, passionate about producing delicious and award-winning English Wine, Fruit Wine, Cider, Mead, Liqueurs and Spirits from their Axe Valley home. They ferment, blend and age their products at the Winery to produce their traditional drinks. They have kindly donated a bottle of fruit wine for the Christmas Draw this year (Over 18’s only). https://lymebaywinery.co.uk/
SANDRIDGE BARTON – wine tasting!
The home of Sharpham Wine, Sandridge Barton Wines have been growing grapes and making wine in the Devon-based vineyards since 1981. Producing over 80 tonnes of fruit per year from the 32-acre vineyards overlooking the River Dart, they are one of the foremost wine producers within the UK. They have kindly donated 2 guided tasting vouchers for the Christmas prize draw this year. https://sandridgebarton.com/
The Barn Owl Trust is very grateful to our prize donors, however our acceptance of their generous offer does not imply endorsement or recommendation of their products or services.
This adorable photo, taken by Martin Yelland, features as the May image in our 2024 calendar which is now available for £8 +p&p on our website.
Thank you so much for your support Martin https://choughrock.com/
We shared this information from the Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre.
We have some fantastic prizes available in our Christmas Prize Draw this year! Including a £250 Naturetrek voucher, a glamping trip and tickets to the Eden Project in Cornwall!
For Prize Draw tickets information and full prize list click here.
NATURETREK
Naturetrek have been crafting expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents since 1986. On one of their holidays, you can be assured that their passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world’s wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best they can for the environment in the process. Whether your ambition is to watch Tigers, Jaguars, bears or whales, or you are looking for an African safari, a birding or botany tour, or a focus on mammals, butterflies or wildlife photography, their expert team of well-travelled naturalists will be delighted to help and advise you.
They have kindly donated a £250 voucher towards a Naturetrek holiday. https://www.naturetrek.co.uk/
COPPET HILL GLAMPING
Coppet Hill Glamping is an award-winning campsite just three miles from the Jurassic Coast. Surrounded by some of Dorset’s most spectacular hills, the 600-acre family farm is a peaceful haven for walkers, campers and wildlife lovers. They offer family camping, luxury glamping and off-grid landpods. They have kindly donated a 2-night stay in a landpod for the Christmas prize draw this year. https://coppethill.co.uk/
THE EDEN PROJECT
In the late 1990s a small group gathered to talk about an idea – to create a place like nothing anyone had ever seen before; a place that explored our place in nature, a place that demonstrated what could be done if people who wanted to make a difference got together. The Eden project is an iconic landmark in Cornwall with horticulture exhibits, arts and culture programmes, community initiatives and education work. They have kindly donated entry tickets for our Christmas prize draw this year. edenproject.com
The Barn Owl Trust is very grateful to our prize donors, however our acceptance of their generous offer does not imply endorsement or recommendation of their products or services.
‘Climate and Ecological Crisis? What’s all the fuss about?’ is an easy-to-follow look at the whole subject & possible solutions. It’s aimed primarily at people who want to know more about climate change or the ecological crisis, people who feel that either the crisis is unreal or exaggerated, or people who have not previously engaged with the subject. Every time David gives this talk somebody says “everyone should hear this”.
Prof. Alasdair Skelton, Director of the Bolin Climate Research Centre (Stockholm University) said “this is the best talk I have ever heard on the climate and ecological crisis… outstanding”.
Free online talk*: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/climate-and-ecological…
*Please note that this is not a Barn Owl Trust event.
Sometimes people donate stamps and stamp collections to us. The very helpful and professional Stamp Valuations has just started helping us to sell them, and they are not charging us any commission or fees You can find out how to support us here!
https://www.fenstonstamps.com/
PKF Francis Clark volunteered to help us, here’s their report.
Little Owls (Athene noctua) are a highly sedentary species in the UK. They are most active at dawn and dusk, and after dark when most hunting occurs. However, they can frequently be seen during the middle of the day, basking in the sun on an exposed perch such as a telegraph pole, dead tree or isolated building Here are some Little Owl facts.
This beautiful photo, taken by Charlotte Rhodes, features as the June image in our 2024 calendar! The calendar is now available for £8 +p&p on our website.
Thank you so much for your support Charlotte https://www.charlotterhodesphotography.co.uk/
A few words from our new Assistant Conservation Officer, Josh
“My first month has flown by and I feel really settled into my work at the Trust, thanks to the welcoming nature of the team. The role has been very varied from responding to enquiries in the office, helping ring a late brood of owlets, to being 20 foot up a ladder in the wind and rain. I am really looking forward to working with landowners, getting more nestboxes up, and exploring Dartmoor in my time off.”
Click on this link to meet the Barn Owl Trust staff.
We have Jan Taylor’s beautiful Barn owl print back on our website!
Jan has lots of other beautiful wildlife prints available on her website or Etsy shops (links below) and if you write “Trust” after your name in the order, Jan will donate 10% of the sale price to the Barn Owl Trust!
https://www.jantaylorart.co.uk/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/jantaylorart/
Thank you so much for your support Jan!
We have some fantastic days out available in our Christmas Prize Draw this year! Including tickets for the Scottish Seabird Centre, Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Stratford-Upon-Avon Butterfly Farm, Cotswold Farm Park and Butterfly World and Farm Park!
For Prize Draw tickets and info click on this link
SCOTTISH SEABIRD CENTRE
For over 20 years the Scottish Seabird Centre has been helping people learn about Scotland’s marine wildlife, habitats and seabirds. They are situated in the seaside town of North Berwick, East Lothian, giving them unparalleled access to amazing coastal seascapes and underwater environments. These include the Bass Rock which supports the world’s largest colony of northern gannets. They have kindly donated a family ticket for the centre for the Christmas prize draw this year. https://www.seabird.org/
SLIMBRIDGE WETLAND CENTRE
WWT Slimbridge is the leading wetland conservation charity and wetland wildlife reserve in Gloucestershire and was set up in 1946 by the naturalist Sir Peter Scott. They are working to create a world where wetland nature thrives and enriches lives. It has 800 acres of wild reserve and is multi-award winning. It consists of a collection of birds, mammals and amphibians and includes play areas, interactive conservation exhibits and even a walk-through aviary. There is a large nature reserve and bird hides with stunning views across the Severn Estuary. They have kindly donated a family ticket for entry for our Christmas Draw this year. https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/slimbridge
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON BUTTERFLY FARM
Come rain or shine, enjoy the unique pleasure of discovering hundreds of the worlds most beautiful butterflies flying in an exotic environment of tropical blossom with splashing waterfalls and fish-filled ponds, all situated in the historic market town of Stratford-upon-Avon. They have kindly donated a family ticket for the Christmas prize draw this year. https://www.butterflyfarm.co.uk/attraction/
COTSWOLD FARM PARK
The home of Adam Henson (Countryfile’s Adam’s Farm) and open since 1971, the Farm Park wanted to publicise the work of rare breeds survival and it is now home to over 50 flocks and herds of rare breed farm animals on the 650 hectare estate. The working farm carries out a wide range of activities. These include the production of crops, rearing animals for breeding, meat and wool, contracting operations, wildlife conservation and recreation activities. They have kindly donated a family entry ticket for our Christmas prize draw this year. https://cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk/
BUTTERFLY WORLD & FARM PARK
A tropical paradise has been created in the centre of what was a desolate stretch of redundant farm fields and marshland in South Wiltshire. It has now been transformed into a butterfly farm and animal park. At Butterfly World, one of the largest in Britain, visitors can see up to 30 species of butterfly – with hundreds flying around at any one time – in the 600 sq m hot house. Over 200 varieties of tropical plant add colour and exotica to the atmosphere in the attractively laid out centre, with its little streams and rustic bridges, waterfalls and fishponds. They have kindly donated a family entry voucher for our Christmas prize draw this year. https://www.studleygrange.co.uk/butterflyworld/about_us/
The Barn Owl Trust is very grateful to our prize donors, however our acceptance of their generous offer does not imply endorsement or recommendation of their products or services.
A Barn Owl nestbox inside a building is usually the best option. This is a still from a video we were sent.
Free DIY plans on our website – or buy one readymade.
Although late in the season, we are still getting the odd report of fallen owlets. Here’s what to do if you find one – how to pick up an owl.
If you have any concerns, contact us here.
What does a Tawny Owl eat?
A Tawny Owl’s diet comprises predominantly small mammals, namely Wood Mice and Bank Voles, but can also include Field Voles if areas of prey-rich grassland are available within the territory. In addition, they will take rabbits, moles, small birds, beetles, earthworms, frogs and even fish! They have also been recorded eating carrion in times of hardship. Click here for more facts about Tawny Owls.
This beautiful photo, taken by Vince Maidens, features as the July image in our 2024 calendar! The calendar is now available for £8 +p&p on our website.
Thank you so much for your support Vince https://www.instagram.com/vincemaidens/
We have a huge range of prizes available to win in our Christmas Draw this year! Including a ticket to see Exeter Chiefs play Glasgow Warriors, a beautiful wooden Barn Owl carving, and a copy of Sally Coulthard’s The Book of the Barn Owl!
Prize Draw tickets and info here.
EXETER CHIEFS
Exeter Chiefs is an English professional rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon. They play in Premiership Rugby and the club was founded in 1871. They play home matches since 2006, at Sandy Park, a purpose-built facility on the outskirts of Exeter and also deliver a wide variety of national and local run programmes in the region including rugby engagement, participation, education, inclusion and health and well-being programmes.
They have kindly donated a ticket for the Chiefs vs Glasgow Warriors match in January 2024. https://www.exeterchiefs.co.uk/
SCOTT’S CHAINSAW CARVINGS
Based in Ashburton and started in lockdown, Scott lovingly carves wooden sculptures made from tree trunks and stumps, logs or off-cuts of wood, all with a chainsaw! Last year’s Barn Owl sculpture was an incredibly detailed Barn Owl that sits proud in a garden and this year Scott hopes to push the boundaries with another amazing sculpture. https://www.scottschainsawcarvings.co.uk/
SALLY COULTHARD
Bestselling author Sally Coulthard shines a light on the Barn Owl. Full of fascinating insights, conservation advice and research, this affectionate guide also tells the story of a Barn Owl’s early life. A beautifully written book fact-filled and totally engaging. Sally has kindly donated a hardcover book for the Christmas prize draw this year, here’s the link to The Book of the Barn owl.
The Barn Owl Trust is very grateful to our prize donors, however our acceptance of their generous offer does not imply endorsement or recommendation of their products or services.
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