BN5 Owl Project

Owls are perhaps one of our most iconic groups of birds, steeped in myth and legend with images of owls all around us. The Henfield area is fairly rich in owls with up to 5 species present at certain times of the year. However, many people have never seen an owl although they may certainly have heard them.

The BN5 Owl Project, covering the BN5 postal district, evolved from the Henfield Owl Project started in 2012, so it now includes villages such as Small Dole, Edburton, Fulking and the surrounding beautiful and diverse countryside habitats that makes the area so special to us. The project is directed by David Plummer, wildlife photographer and self-confessed ‘owlaholic.’

The aims of the project are essentially to survey and monitor these elusive birds right on our doorstep and it is hoped this monitoring will continue way into the future, so that we have a more accurate idea of how one of our top nocturnal predator groups is faring in the British countryside. A baseline Tawny Owl Survey was undertaken in 2014 and this survey will be repeated over the winter season 2017/18.

Beyond the surveying and monitoring, the BN5 Owl Project hopes to encourage owl numbers within the project area by assisting the installation of supplementary owl boxes as well as to increase education about owls within the local community. David Plummer currently runs several owl biology workshops for Sussex Wildlife Trust.

The BN5 Owl Project is now receiving some recognition and has undertaken surveys in other areas such as the Knepp Rewilding project and even Gatwick airport. Other owl and raptor projects have also been formed following the BN5 Project model.

For more information about the BN5 Owl Project or to report an owl sighting, within the BN5 boundary please contact David Plummer on bn5_owl_project@henfieldbirdwatch.co.uk