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Dorset barn owls saved by £30k farm renovation works

Alan Wicks Barn owlsAlan Wicks
The barn owls are expected to mate again in December

A pair of barn owls have been saved after £30,000 was raised to repair the "tumbledown" barn where they have been nesting.

The Countryside Restoration Trust charity is renovating the barn at Bere Marsh Farm in Shillingstone, Dorset, which it owns, following an appeal.

Several babies fledged in September and the pair are expected to mate again in December.

Barn owls, which are protected by law, have been using the site for 20 years.

Wild barn owls have the highest level of legal protection possible under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act, meaning it is an offence to kill, injure or take any wild bird, their nests or eggs.

Alan Wicks Barn owlAlan Wicks
The pair had several babies earlier in the year which fledged in September
Alan Wicks Barn restorationAlan Wicks
The timbers and tiles of the barn roof are being repaired a part of the renovation works

Repairs are being carried out to the roof timbers and tiles, "with great sensitivity so as not to dislodge the iconic owls from the tumbledown barn", said the trust, which bought the farm in August.

Bere Marsh Farm manager Elaine Spencer-White said: "We are both relieved and delighted that the owls are now safe for many years to come."

Alan Wicks Barn owlsAlan Wicks
Barn owls have been nesting at the site for 20 years
Alan Wicks Barn owlAlan Wicks
Wild barn owls have the highest level of legal protection possible under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act