A "mini-baby boom" among tawny owls has been reported in a remote Northumberland forest.
Kielder Forest has seen an increase in water voles, a tawny owl's most important prey, which has led to around 90 tawny owls pairs to have chicks. Last year, only 25 pairs had chicks, the UK's longest-running tawny owl project running for nearly 45 years has revealed.
In that time, Forestry England has installed 240 boxes in the trees to provide ready made homes and allow experts to monitor their welfare. Thousands of chicks have been ringed as part of the long-term scientific study, which has revealed that some owls have gone on to live for more than 20 years, amongst other things.
