A Warminster woman whose conservation work supports owls and kestrels in Wiltshire is celebrating a positive start to the barn owl breeding season.
Justine Hadfield travels across the county to monitor birds and ring their young as part of the Salisbury Plain Ringing Group, also known as the Lewis Raptor and Owl Group. She described 2025 as “atrocious” for owls but has reported far more owls and eggs this year.
“This time last year, we were finding box after box that were empty…no eggs and no owls,” said Justine. “Boxes that did have eggs were abandoned later in the season as it became apparent that the owls were not finding enough food for them to eat, let alone feed any young.
“Imagine our surprise and delight to start checks this year and from day one, find boxes with eggs and large clutches; a couple of nines, a few eights and several sevens, the average clutch being four to six eggs.”
Justine believes the change this year is due to the weather, as a slightly warmer and wetter spring has allowed vegetation to grow and voles to breed.
“Several of these clutches have gone on to hatch, and now it’s just a waiting game to see how many more hatch and survive…and hope there’s a decent vole population to support them. Apparently, a bust year is often followed by a boom one.
“We have been using the truck we purchased at the end of last year with funds raised through a GoFundMe campaign. This allows us to carry all the kit we need and, so far, has ensured we haven’t got stuck in a farmer’s field like we did on our second ever trip out a couple of years ago!”
The group is self-funded and hopes to raise money by delivering local talks. More information can be found on the Lewis Raptor and Owl Group Facebook page.
