Strangford farmer David Sandford is celebrating a remarkable milestone: six years of giving barn owls a home, as a pair have returned to his wildlife-friendly farm to raise their young.

With fewer than 30 breeding pairs of barn owls estimated to remain in Northern Ireland, his farm now stands as one of the most successful breeding sites in Northern Ireland for these vulnerable birds.

The journey began a decade ago when David encountered a barn owl during an evening walk across his fields – the first time he’d seen one in over 30 years. Intrigued that the birds might be breeding nearby, he reached out to Ulster Wildlife to install some nest boxes to compliment the nature-rich habitats he had created. Four years of patience and perseverance finally paid off in 2019, when a pair of barn owls took up residence.