Online dating - Dorset barn owls find true love

A lonely barn owl has found love at last at Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Lorton Meadows Nature Reserve, near Weymouth. Lorton’s resident male barn owl and his new partner, named Bob and Brenda, have settled in to the large owl box provided on site (see picture below) and are being keenly, if unobtrusively, watched by wildlife fans across Dorset via webcam. This is a life changing period for Bob who had previously occupied the box in recent years without a mate.

A family on the way for Bob and Brenda?

It is thought that eggs are likely to be laid shortly, with as many as five and sometimes more being produced, and incubation taking about 30 days. Being of a predatory nature, barn owls, like other birds of prey, unfortunately frequently devour some of their offspring, often leaving only two to be fledged.

Playing to a live audience.....

Dorset Wildlife Trust’s People & Wildlife Officer, Sam Dallimore, says: “The prospect of being able to follow the breeding of a barn owl family from start to finish is really exciting and will provide all sorts of data that will prove useful. That the viewing is available for everyone to enjoy is both informative and a real insight into the day to day activity of one of our most charismatic native birds.”

The intriguing sight of the barn owl activity is being carefully monitored by Dorset Wildlife Trust conservationists and avidly watched by a growing number of wildlife enthusiasts. In another nest box at the same reserve, where last year a pair of kestrels took up residence and produced a family, a comparable webcam attracted literally thousands of viewers from as far afield as South Africa. 

Watch the barn owls at dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/raptorcam.html

Find out more

Click here to go directly to the barn owl webcam.
Click here to find view our frequently asked barn owl questions.
Lorton Meadows nature reserve is open daily at Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH.  Find out more about Lorton Meadows.