Paul Riddle

@greeny1955 Stunning!!! A superb reminder of what must have been a great encounter.👍🏻

And here is the Sibe Thrush all framed. 👍

@gunsnrosesgirl3 Cornetto

You have to name him the last thing you ate

@emilyjoachim Same here Emily, 30 x previously productive sites checked, pairs at most but only 2 x sites breeding 🫣

Poorest breeding season on record for Kestrels and owls in #Wiltshire🦉🪶 Most Barn Owls haven’t laid eggs yet due to food shortage. Many adults are in moult so unlikely to breed this year. Kestrels that have bred are feeding young with birds, and broods are smaller than average

Out this evening with Mick & @greeny1955 checking more breeding boxes in south Leicestershire. First site had 4 x #Kestrel chicks that were soon ringed with the assistance of the landowners tractor. 2nd site had 5 x young #Barnowls that were soon ringed and returned. Happy days😜

Out again this evening with @PMRiddle checking 8 more of our Owl boxes under licence. But sadly only 2 adults seen and no eggs or chicks. We did have a couple of Little Owls and a couple of Grey Partridge.

@greeny1955 Another enjoyable evening Col👍🏻

Been out this evening with @PMRiddle checking some more of our Owl boxes under Licence. Out the 5 we checked, adults were at the boxes but only one box had 3 chicks. Not a good year for Barn Owls? On our patch anyway. We did have one of our kestrel boxes with 4 chicks👍

A few owly images from my recent trip to Florida…..

I managed to squeeze in another drive around the Leicestershire lanes at dusk. I was hoping for #littleowl but sadly none were located. However, a real bonus was this #tawnyowl, a very handsome fellow indeed that was quite vocal. Next trip out will be in pursuit of #barnowls….

Got out in my truck this evening, the upturn with the spring like weather would surely mean the local owls would be active? A slow drive around the lanes finally produced a result when this Little Owl was chanced upon just before dusk, a nice poser too!!😜

@ScarecrowNeste1 @greeny1955 I honestly don’t know, i guess about 10 years doing just the Barnie boxes and the total could now be as high as 300? Thanks for your comments 👍🏻

@PMRiddle @greeny1955 You guys are incredible How many years now Rid ?? & how many in total ?? 🧐🦉👍🏻

Out this evening with ⁦@greeny1955⁩ finishing off our newly designed #barnowl & #kestrel boxes. All 7 are for a land manager in the south of Leicestershire.

@WAVESOFPLEASURE Hi Paul, Col & I make them to order, great value at £85 each. Very well made and totally weather proof, will last for years!!

Last night Col & I erected a Tawny Owl breeding barrel in a small spinney in south Leicestershire. The owner set up a trail camera below the box, she returned today to check if anything had been caught investigating, and unbelievably a Tawny Owl has already checked it out!😜 🦉

Have been down the workshop with ⁦@greeny1955⁩ tonight. We’ve designed a new #barnowl breeding box that will hopefully prove to be suitable for the owls and maintenance free for many years to come.🦉😜

@ilovenostalgia Marbles, butty, gitty & croggy

Please name these four. Regional differences may apply… Check replies 👀

@stuttonsparrows @ScarecrowNeste1 Although I haven’t actually recorded the local LO numbers for a few years there is no doubt that many known breeding sites from previous years now have no occupancy! My only conclusion is the increase in raptors (Buzzards mainly) that have possibly contributed to the decline??

@ScarecrowNeste1 @PMRiddle Any feeling what the issues are around decline Doc?

We've studied & recorded 33 pairs of Little Owl within 3km of home at HLSpring That figure was down to around a dozen by 2019 (63% Loss). In 2024 we have 7 pairs in that 3km radius now (78% Loss) all bar 1 pair are to the West of town in mixed farmland setting @PMRiddle

@HarriermanPhil @greeny1955 Good point!!!!👏👏👏We’ll take that into consideration when next putting up a box, cheers 👍

@PMRiddle @greeny1955 Started to lower new boxes to about 10' a few years ago as 'apparently' that is the optimum height at which they hunt. 🤷Also it enabled us to carry a shorter ladder which is ideal when you can't drive to the box

Out with ⁦@greeny1955⁩ tonight repositioning one of our owl barrels that came down in the high winds.

@HarriermanPhil @greeny1955 Nope, about 16ft, i’d say it was just about right????

@PMRiddle @greeny1955 Bit high innit?