In 1992 the Environment Agency and the Hawk and Owl Trust set up a pilot scheme to introduce Barn Owl nesting boxes mounted mainly on poles on the banks of the River Hull. The Hawk and Owl Trust is promoting a network of barn owl box provision using linear features such as rivers, old railway lines and canals with good feeding and foraging habitats to link sections of the country to allow the spread of our native Barn Owl population. The River Hull was chosen as Barn Owls are present and there was good feeding habitat, but the availability of nesting sites has been declining due to the loss of old farm buildings and open barns.

The boxes on the Hull are monitored every year by the Hawk and Owl Trust under licence from English Nature.The scheme has achieved better results than anticipated with an increase from 5 chicks in 1993 to 25 chicks in 1996. Due to the success of the original scheme in 1992 a further 8 pairs of boxes were put up in 1995. Unfortunately 1997 was less successful with only 10 chicks recorded, this was attributable to the very wet June and the worst year for Barn Owls in England for over 30 years. A summary of the annual data is given below.

Boxes have also been sited by the Trust on the Swine Estate, Sunk Island and the Humber Banks for the Environment Agency and the Crown Estates. These new schemes are hoped to link into initiatives with British Waterways along the South Yorkshire Navigation which ends at Castleford. Thus a network of suitable habitats is developing across East Yorkshire and into South Yorkshire to link up with schemes in other counties.

The Environment Agency contact point for the box scheme is Caroline Essery, who can be contacted at 1 Viking Close, Great Gutter Lane, Willerby, Hull, HU10 6DE.