Straight from the Horse’s Mouth

We were delighted to welcome a new resident to Shardeloes Farm recently - Otto the barn owl! Otto’s arrival marks an important chapter in our conservation work with Bucks Owl and Raptor Group (BORG), and we hope he will be the first of many special feathered friends who choose to set up home with us.

BORG launched in 2012 and is an independent conservation group run entirely by volunteers committed to protecting native owl and raptor species in the local area. Working in partnership with landowners and local businesses, the volunteers build, position and manage owl and raptor nest boxes as part of a vital conservation project. Over 600 boxes have been installed to date, with the birds taking up occupancy monitored as part of a national monitoring scheme managed by British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

We have been working with BORG for over a year and have several of their boxes installed around the Farm to encourage a steady and healthy increase in owl and raptor numbers. In addition to four barn owl boxes, Shardeloes Farm hosts one tawny owl box and two kestrel boxes. Since their installation, we have been encouraged to see signs of habitation, including feathers and pellets before Otto set up residence.

To celebrate this very special milestone, we launched a competition to choose a name for our newly-resident owl, with Otto selected from a number of entries. In addition to helping BORG with our bird boxes, we have also donated £150.00 to support their vital services.

Linda Williams at Shardeloes Farm said, “We know that with our substantial acreage and woodland, we are in the perfect position to support BORG’s vital work. We understand the importance of protecting these beautiful birds - and we’re thrilled that our combined efforts have paid off with Otto’s arrival.

“For us, encouraging this wildlife to thrive serves the dual purpose of keeping rodent pests at bay, too, so it’s good news for everyone. We look forward to welcoming more residents like Otto and continuing to do our bit to support local conversation.”

Norman Shepherd, Group Co-ordinator, BORG, says: “As an independent self-funded conservation group, we could not continue without the generous support of local landowners like Shardeloes Farm. With their help, we’re pleased to see our conservation efforts are paying off and we’re noticing that owl and raptor numbers are steadily increasing after years of decline.

“Preserving our bird population in this way is so important for our ecosystems, so Otto’s arrival is a truly fantastic result – hopefully, we’ll be celebrating more feathered inhabitants into the new year and beyond.”

Keep an eye on our news pages for more owl and raptor updates, and for more information about BORG, visit www.giveahoot.org.uk.