Click to see latest pictures of released owlets – January 2017 Background story: In early November 2016, we received a phone call from Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue who had received two fallen owlets on the 22nd October. After determining that they could not be returned to the box because the parents had abandoned them, they were […]
News Archive
Hal the Tawny Owl – From Rescue to Release
On the 14th June, we received a Tawny owlet from Southmoor vets. He was found in a field by a hedge near Halwell by a member of the public who took it to the vets for fear of its safety. On arrival, he was around 5 weeks old, weighing 285g and quickly got the nickname ‘Hal’. Tawny […]
No certification, no sale of rodenticides from 1st October 2016
According to latest government figures, 95% of Barn Owls contain rat poison so the following announcement really is good news… No certification, no sale of rodenticides from 1st October. From 1st October farmers, gamekeepers, pest controllers and their employees buying professional rodenticide packs for use outdoors will need to show either an approved certificate of […]
Rare Barbastelle Bat shows during our inaugural bat walk
Last night the Barn Owl Trust held its first evening Bat Walk event. It was attended by 5 lucky people plus Devon Consultant Ecologist and bat expert Louise Woolley. The weather couldn’t have been much better with a warm day followed by a clear still night and an almost full moon. The evening started with tea and […]
Rescue of Willow the Barn Owl
On the 25th July 2016 we received a phone call from a member of the public who had found a Barn Owl in the road near Winkleigh. He kindly offered to take it to a vets to get it checked over. A while later, having found no signs of injury, he brought the Owl to […]
Tawny Owl Rescue
On Thurday 21st July, responding to a call from a member of the public, we collected an injured Tawny Owl from the central reservation of the A38 near Ashburton, Devon. The bird was somewhat subdued and, due to its location, we suspect it had collided with a vehicle. Sadly this is not uncommon. Major roads are a significant […]
Our Rodenticide Campaign goes European
As you’ve probably heard by now, most owls (including 95% of Barn Owls), raptors, and even hedgehogs contain rat poison. Under EU regulations, member states are permitted to authorise the sale and use of rodenticides (rat poisons) for five years at a time. As part of the current review, the EU’s European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) […]
Surviving against the odds
When we received our most recent Barn Owl for rehabilitation last Wednesday (6th January) we were convinced that the bird wouldn’t make it through the night due to the terrible state she was in. At just 215g, she was below starvation weight for a female Barn Owl. The odds didn’t look good! To avoid stressing […]
Raise Funds for free as you shop online
If you shop online you can raise donations for the Barn Owl Trust without it costing you a penny by signing up with ‘Give as you Live’ To date (November 2015) 149 folk have signed up to support our work and raised an amazing £2,256.74 by using ‘Give as you Live’ to shop at over […]
Freedom for wild Little Owls
The two Little Owls received at the end of July from Vale Wildlife Hospital near Tewkesbury were released last night in our orchard. After being fitted with BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) rings on the 18th August the Owls were placed in one of our mobile aviaries in the orchard to acclimatise them to their […]