The Yatton and Congresbury Wildlife Action Group (YACWAG) reports a successful breeding year for Somerset barn owls, with one nest seeing five owlets.

This achievement is especially remarkable given the general picture of small broods and failed breeding attempts across the West Country, as reported by Chris Sperring MBE of the Hawk and Owl Trust.

Pellets were gathered by October 31 and counting will commence in November.

Nest boxes were regularly monitored, which ensured minimal disturbances to the barn owls.

Furthermore, despite a record wet winter and early spring making hunting conditions difficult, observations indicated there were plenty of voles available for the barn owls to feed on.

YACWAG's habitat management and nest box provisions on the Congresbury Moor reserve seemed to have contributed significantly to the successful breeding season.

Sperring commented on how the abundance of small mammals in the long grass helps the owls to thrive.

Congresbury Moor has proved once again to be the most successful site for barn owl breeding.

Sadly, not all sites experienced a successful breeding season.

On YACWAG member Roland Griffin's land at Kingston Seymour, two deceased owlets were found.

It is suspected a fatal event befell the adult pair, as Barn Owls are notoriously prone to accidents.

The proximity of the site to the M5 motorway prompted further suspicion, as a dead owl was spotted there earlier in the year.

However, it is important to note that the reserves at other locations hold promising prospects for the future.

Despite no nestboxes at the Cobthorn reserve, barn owls were seen hunting over the fields, implying potential breeding activity.

This year's breeding success concludes with five fledglings, joining the 84 barn owls fledged so far on YACWAG reserves.

Furthermore, with a further 18 owls in boxes monitored on members' and friends' properties, the century mark has been happily surpassed.

However, it seems Kestrels are overlooked despite a decline in their population.

Notably, four Kestrel young fledged at Meakers Field, raising the overall number to 52.

This shows that YACWAG’s approach of blending habitat management with nest box provision is equally beneficial for these equally important birds.