The provision of bird boxes (for nesting) doesn’t guarantee ‘the happy couple’ will take up residence. In the case of Castlelyons National School, they were invited to select a site and erect an owl box, aimed at attracting a breeding pair.
Under the guidance of local dairy farmer and environmentalist, Donal Sheehan, along with Alan McCarthy (BirdWatch Ireland), the box was put up in March of this year. Remarkably, the ready made home proved an instant hit with local barn owls.
“It’s very unusual for owls to take to the bird box so quickly, it can often take years, there are some boxes that are never occupied,” Donal said. “It’s a great success story that we wanted to share with the pupils of Castlelyons National School, what they are experiencing this morning is very unique. Hopefully, they will always remember their inteaction with the owls, these young people are our future”.
Full story in this week’s Print & Digital Edition