'Tis the season... for barn owl nest box maintenance
Its Council That County Level The Population A Larry For By Barn Owl In Birdwatch Study Picture: Shows At County The Of Years 50 Greatest Recorded Cummins Cork
December is an important month for the promising barn owl conservation project which is proof, yet again, that nature can thrive with some human help.
A study by Birdwatch for Cork County Council shows that the barn owl population of the county at its greatest recorded level in 50 years, with the breeding range increasing by 480% since the population reached its lowest level in the 1980s.
A key factor is the use of wooden nests placed in abandoned buildings, old farm sheds and other quiet locations. Of the 114 breeding sites in County Cork, 105 produced young.
“This is the highest number of breeding pairs every recorded in any county," Birdwatch reports.
Described as the 'farmer’s friend' because it preys on rats and mice, this owl sometimes falls victim to rodenticides after it eats poisoned rodents. Ironically, the owl is one of the best means of natural rodent control.
As well as poisoning, road collision and habitat loss are other problems. Being nocturnal, you’ll occasionally see this red-listed owl flying over roads at night… a fleeting glimpse of something white.
Teagasc advises that the barn owl is sensitive to disturbance and interference with nest boxes can cause problems. Essential nest maintenance is allowed during December only and must be done with care.
Nest boxes must be placed more than 500 metres from a motorway, or dual carriageway. Ideally, sites have to be close to where prey can be found and at least three metres above ground to prevent easy access for predators such as cats.
In a similar vein, Fermoy nature lover, Jim Lysaght, has published a collection of his weekly columns which have appeared in The Avondhu newspaper over the past four decades. Feedback from readers prompted him to bring out a book comprising some of his writings.
Entitled , it includes just some of the many thoughts and observations of a man who has enjoyed his native north Cork countryside over a lifetime… woods, trees, flowers, birds, fish and, of course, the River Blackwater. But, that has changed with the natural world now under severe pressure.
“In one of the articles, I speak of a time when the Blackwater was teeming with salmon and trout," Jim wistfully recalls.
“In our world today, affected by so much ecological transformation, it’s a valuable reminder to depict our local nature, people and places from another age, reflecting a world that no longer exists."
Among those to endorse the publication is Jerry Keating, an environmentalist before his time whom we remember for his campaigns for clean water in an era when fish-kills were common in rivers and and lakes.