A visit was made to a Co. Kerry Barn Owl site today, a site where we know a long-lived male was killed on the nearby Tralee Bypass last November. His story is in this post HERE. He used to perch just outside the nest box around this time of year, paying close attention to the female within, hopefully with her about to lay eggs.
And by amazing coincidence, on the exact same beam, almost to the day, just outside the box was a new male Barn Owl, and one that looks like an older bird. Moreover, as you can see in the photo, he is already ringed.
Male Barn Owl, near Tralee, 5th May 2016 (M.O'Clery).
So where might he have come from? Without being able to read the ring, we can't know, but it might be possible to re-trap him this summer. Barn Owls are thought to be sedentary once they have passed their first winter, but if this male is several years old, he might have left another home range to take over at this site, or perhaps he was nearby, unpaired? We are dying to know!
Male Barn Owl, near Tralee, 5th May 2016 (M.O'Clery).
