AT the May meeting of Morchard Bishop Gardening Club, held in the Memorial Hall, members had a talk from David Ramsden of the Barn Owl Trust.

David introduced us to the barn owl through a recording of its screech. These beguiling creatures have a physiognomy (facial feature) adapted to their hunting method.

Their heart-shaped faces gather sound as the owl hunts silently, almost as if it were “listening” for food and their soft feathers are not adapted to rainwater, even if they occasionally venture out for a shower!

You are most likely to see their swooping flight at dawn or dusk. Barn owls are not territorial but have a mental map of an area of perhaps four to five miles to navigate and hunt for voles, shrews and small rats.

Unfortunately, nearly all of its prey contain rat poison which is passed on to the owls. The product is aptly named “Slaymore”.

The young leave the nest in July or August and learn to hunt through play like kittens.

The young are vulnerable to man-made hazards caused by intensive farming which ruins their habitats. In Devon, there are only about 400 pairs of barn owls left.

Modern agricultural methods are perilous to the barn owl. Huge metallic farm sheds have replaced graceful barns, the move from hay to silage has decimated the number of their prey and roads have tunnelled through their habitats. Indeed we are more likely to see a dead owl than a live one.

If you are lucky enough to spot an owl in the flesh, the Barn Owl Trust would like to hear from you at: barnowlsurvey.org.uk .

The Trust does much to mitigate against the demise of the owl including running a hospital for injured and returning them to the wild, visiting primary schools to raise awareness, and a lot of conservation work.

David communicated his devotion to his cause with enthusiasm and conviction. We were urged to think ecologically when deciding how to vote in the coming elections.

At the beginning of the evening, Keith Davies spoke a few gentle words about our former Chairman, Colin Carrington, who had sadly passed away that morning.

The members of the Club rose for a minute’s silence to commemorate and remember Colin for his humanity and outstanding commitment to our community.

Karin Moffett