Barn owl bobbies on the rodent beat

In a good year for voles and mice, I can have four pairs of barn owls on the farm. They raise healthy broods then the evening sky is filled with white shapes hunting in the long grass. It’s a delight and at certain times of year you can see seven or eight birds coasting in the twilight on a short walk around the boundaries. I love the sound of a barn owl calling under the stars and I’d be hard-pressed to think of a more beautiful or elegant bird in the British countryside.

When vole numbers dry up, my barn owls recede dramatically. I always have at least one pair but even they will struggle to do more