First owl chicks recorded at nature reserve

Tawny owl chicks have been recorded at a Hampshire nature reserve for the first time.

The four birds were discovered inside a barn owl box which had been in place for a number of years at Mill Lane Meadows in Sherfield English, near Romsey.

Test Valley Borough Council, which owns the site, said this marked the first recorded instance of successful nesting by a bird of prey species at its sites.

To build on this success, more nest boxes would be installed at the nature reserve, as well as another near Romsey, in the autumn, the council said.

Tawny Owls are a resident, sedentary and highly territorial species, according to the Barn Owl Trust.

They are the most common owl species in the UK, however they are amber-listed as a Species of Conservation Concern in the UK, with numbers declining due to habitat loss and a lack of prey.

The owls were discovered during a visit from the council's reserve officer, Gemma Clinch, and Dr Matt Stevens of the Hawk Conservancy Trust.

In a statement the council said: "We were delighted to discover four healthy, beautiful tawny owl chicks calmly snoozing inside.

"This is huge news for our sites, as it marks the first recorded instance of successful nesting by a bird of prey species – a real cause for celebration."

The trust said it was "excited" to be expanding its raptnor nest box project.

"This contributes useful data to help us understand population changes, breeding success, how birds respond to environmental changes and challenges, essentially all helping us to better conserve them, " it added