So nearly a couple of years ago I took part in the Tawny Owl calling survey for the British Trust for Ornithology. This involved listening for 20 minutes a week at a time of my choosing and recording whether or not I heard an owl calling. That was it, as surveys go it was one of the easier ones.

Most weeks were owl positive which is pleasing.

There was a delay in publishing the results and the promised link in the BTO project owl page didn't materialise so I've just found these here. In general it found that Tawny numbers have held up well in the 13 years since the survey was last undertaken, bot in terms of sessions when an owl was heard and the number of sites recording hearing an owl. Rather stupidly I didn't keep the results for Springhill, just submitted them to the BTO, so can't comment on how old hearings here compared to national results.

Sadly the owls' favourite tree has been felled as part of the proposed development of the Paddock but they have been heard again this week so are still around. There is thankfully a fair bit of broad leaf habitat left for them.