Establish and Maintain Nature Reserves and Educate in Natural History and Nature Conservation

The Barn Owl – a talk by Chris Sperring MBE

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4 years ago

Wildlife > Birds

on Thursday 18th November 2021 at 7.30 pm via Zoom

Chris Sperring holding a barn owl

Chris Sperring MBE is a professional conservation officer as well as a writer and broadcaster.  Chris gave advice to YACWAG when we were first formed and bought our first ten-acre field to be a nature reserve. We had been hoping we could persuade lapwings to nest on the field, having seen them decline and dwindle until only a pair was left nesting near the Yeo, and about to give up. Chris had other ideas. ‘If you grow the grass, you will get short-tailed field voles, and if you get voles the owls won’t be far behind.’  He advised us to put up a specially made nesting box for barn owls, which he said were dispersing from the Somerset Levels into our area but finding no suitable nesting sites. ‘Put up a pole box,’ he said in the autumn, ‘and look out for barn owls in February.’ In February our first barn owl was seen. 

Chris Sperring with 4 barn owls

Chris will tell us about barn owls and why their conservation is important in a talk via Zoom on Thursday 18th November 2021 starting at 7.30 pm.

To enrol for the presentation please use the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/chris-sperring-barn-owls-of-congresbury-moor-tickets-197825510427

The barn owl is YACWAG’s flagship species, the iconic fluffy chicks representing our first obvious wildlife endorsement of our work. 

Note: in due course the talk will be added to our Media Library and YouTube Channel.

Chris Sperring with children from Yatton Junior School in 2016

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