News
Update 28th September 2005
Dear all,
The nights are drawing in and yet it still feels like summer!
A new project is just starting with my work with the Hawk and Owl
Trust, in the Somerset levels surveying not only barn Owls and available
habitat, but also Water Voles.
This project will continue through until January 2006. On the
barn Owl front, its been a great breeding season here in the south-west
of England. It's now the 5th best breeding season on the trot for
my own study area. I put this down to improved habitat. I can now
put my hand on my heart and say with confidence that every habitat
I have been involved with creating or advising now has a barn owl
or 2 on it!
Combined with the improved habitat, we've seen the coming of much
milder weather. This has meant that even the higher areas such as
the Mendip Hills and Exmoor, have barn owls breeding, where 10 years
ago this would not have happened, indeed some would have said could
not happen.
We are also starting work once again on the Nest Boxes for Schools
Project. Originally funded by the Heritage Lottery it ran for 2
years, but due to its popularity we found more funding and have
just re-launched the project.
If you are interested in more information about the nest boxes
into schools project then go to www.nestbox.net
or via the Hawk and Owl Trust website www.hawkandowl.org.
If you're a School wishing to take part in this project, then please
go to the website and use the information on the contact pages.
The Owl releases (wild bred rehabilitated birds), that I
reported on last time have gone really well indeed. We have
now released four Tawny owls and 3 Little Owls, I'm not planning
anymore as now I'm engaged in monitoring the released birds. I feel
this is the most important part of any wildlife re-hab project,
and also reporting back on success and the very important failures.
More to follow on this in next months news update.
Now its almost October the talk and lecture season is well under
way, as are the very popular Owl Prowls.
If you wish to book me for a talk or lecture in your area please
use the contact page on this website.
I have also just finished working once again with Adam
Thomas at Somerset Sound, we always have great fun recording
these wildlife bits which go into his afternoon show.
I'm also doing some work for Radio
4, this will not come out until next year and I will give more
information about this as and when I can.
On Monday the 3rd October I will be on BBC
Radio 7, this time talking about Bird vocalisation, this is
a Children's radio programme so the emphasis will be on the bird
song that I can mimic.
Stop Press!!!!!!!!!!!
Looks like our Rock band "Raptor!" might be playing
the Nature festival in Bristol on the 22nd October. I'm in talks
with the other members of the band at the moment, we have been asked,
but its quite complicated to get the others and me in the same room
to rehearse as we are all already very busy doing things either
for the environment or nature conservation. It is so typical of
this band we will probably only get 3 practices before we go live,
and we have not got a singer so that's my job as well playing guitar!
Chris Sperring
Previous News:
Owl Releases
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