Moor Farm Rings 6 Barn Owlets as 2026 Breeding Season Rebounds

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 22

Six barn owlets estimated at 40 to 50 days old were found sharing one nest at Moor Farm near Peterborough and were ringed Thursday for conservation tracking.
Each bird received a British Trust for Ornithology metal ring with a unique ID, letting conservationists follow movements under Peterborough City Council's barn owl recovery scheme.
Simon Dudhill, who has monitored owls for 15 years, called the brood exceptionally good and his first nest of six in 2026; he has already ringed more than 260 owlets in Cambridgeshire this year.
Judith Jacobs said the find lifted spirits after six suspected arson attacks at the farm this summer; Moor Farm had no owlets last year and has added safer hunting paths away from roads.
The discovery also fits a wider turnaround in 2026 breeding after recent years when adults occupied boxes but often did not breed because food was scarce.