Habitat improvements bring nesting barn owls to Redwood

The dry spring and summer weather this year (2025) has had a challenging impact on wildlife on the Slimbridge Estate – but habitat management work that began more than a year ago is continuing to pay dividends.

The work, in the countryside around the Outdoor Learning Centre at Redwood, has brought a number of species to the area including, most recently, a pair of barn owls that are raising chicks in a nest box.

Forester Lee James put the box on the stanchion from a former munitions store believed to date back to the First World War.  It was being demolished when Lee thought a part of the building could provide support for the box. “I decided to leave the one stanchion in situ as an ideal spot to put an owl box on,” he said.

Little more than a year later and the normally cautious barn owls have taken up residence and are feeding young.  “I was so pleased to see that they had decided to use it so quickly,” Lee added.

Over the past year Lee has recorded kingfishers, bullfinches, a barn owl, goshawks and several species of mammal including water voles and otters on the site, demonstrating the value of making habitat changes that create the right conditions for wildlife.

A pair of goshawks which raised a brood of chicks have seen them successfully fledge, Lee said. But he warned current conditions have dried out the area, which normally remains wet right through the year. He said:

Newton, Lee is building up a detailed record of the animals on the 85-acre site, which includes newly planted hedges and trees, along with three ponds and a system of rhines or ditches that connect to the River Severn.

Lee said: “We used to have kingfishers at Redwood and they disappeared for several years. I put it down to the poor water quality in the pond system. I cleaned out two ponds to get the fish back and hoped the kingfishers would come back and within weeks, up they popped!

The habitat management plan for the site has also attracted more bullfinches, which feed on reed and teazel seeds. Other species captured on camera by Chris Newton include a goldcrest, redpoll and a female goshawk with chick.

The Redwood Outdoor Learning site provides a facility for young people to gain an understanding of the countryside and learn new skills. Managing the habitat around the centre helps to enhance the experience of everyone who visits.

Images by Chris Newton, volunteer wildlife surveyor and photographer.
Top – bottom:
Barn Owl
Goshawk and chick
Redpoll
Kingfisher
Bullfinch