Biologist Sofi Hindmarch visited the Earthwise Garden and Farm recently to band a rare second set of baby barn owls.
Hindmarch says there's only a 10 per cent chance that a pair of these owls will have two broods in one season.
The owlets are now nine weeks old and have just started learning how to fly. The next month is a critical time for them as their parents teach them how to fly and forage.
The Earthwise Farm Store barn is set-up with cameras that continually monitor the owl family's activities. Visitors can observe the young owlets on camera in real time when visiting the Earthwise Farm Store.
Barn owls are a threatened species in B.C. Hindmarch's master's degree and subsequent research focused on the negative impacts of land use change, loss of habitat and loss of nesting sites on barn owls in B.C.
While the Earthwise barn has provided a safe nesting space for this barn owl pair to raise two broods this year, many other barn owls in the area lack safe nesting sites and can become a target for eagles.
Ample foraging space is also important for barn owls, as when natural forage sites are removed, owls have to depend on roadkill for their sustenance. Traffic is the leading cause of mortality for young barn owls in B.C.
