Sadly we have lost another chick.

Sadly, yesterday evening the youngest chick died. Both youngsters looked well in the morning. On Tuesday night the oldest chick ate a vole. It took ten minutes to swallow it whole! We have now lost three of the four chicks born last month.

The reason for this is down to a lack of prey. The weather conditions have often made hunting difficult. We knew it was poor vole year so the main target prey would have been mice. The female has already completed her moult and so it is unlikely she will lay again this year. All our hopes are now pinned on the surviving chick.

Barn owls in Lincolnshire are having their worst year ever recorded with breeding success down 75%. These poor years happen occasionally but the population of adults remains stable from year to year giving us hope for a better breeding season in 2021.