Barn owl numbers continue to rise

Wildlife experts claim that barn owls in Devon have started their nesting season at the earliest time since records began 20 years ago.

The British Trust for Ornithology say the birds are thriving due to a glut of mammals on which they feed and a bumper crop of fruit and seeds last autumn.

Initial reports show Devon is one of 12 strongholds for the birds.

The news comes just months after it was revealed there had been a big increase in the number of barn owls in Cornwall.