A Forestry Commission project to help barn owls in Cumbria’s
Grizedale Forest and the Rusland Valley, between Coniston and
Newby Bridge, has been hailed as a success, after a reported
increase in the number of birds nesting in the area. This year
there have been six actively occupied nest boxes around
Grizedale Forest, but previously there had been no more than two
boxes occupied in any of the last 15 years. Barn owls are a
protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and
have been in decline in Britain in the last 15 years due to
increased use of pesticides and a reduction in the number of
derelict buildings. The project is a joint venture between the
Forestry Commission and the World Owl Trust at Muncaster Castle,
and funded by the Tourism and Conservation Partnership. The
project was launched to identify suitable new habitat for the
barn owls, followed by the installation of new nest boxes for
them to breed in. Monitoring owl numbers can be a useful tool in
helping the Forestry Commission pick