It's a hoot as owls share office

The Little Owls will make their homes in the roof space

National Trust wardens working in north Wales are to share their office space with a parliament of owls.

Renovation work on a listed farm building in Cwrt, Gwynedd, revealed that Little Owls had been using the roof rafters to roost.

There were fears the new offices would mean the end of the owls' home.

So as a compromise, the roof space is being converted into a purpose built owl home with a special bird-door separating them from the wardens.

Keith Jones, countryside manager for Llŷn and west Snowdonia, said: "The Little Owls are part of the make-up of the buildings.

"I just thought of them as another user and therefore how could we work around them.

They are quite nosey birds and very tolerant of us Keith Jones, National Trust

"It's been very easy - at most times of the day you can see them peering at you.

"They are quite nosey birds and very tolerant of us."

The new office is part of a large quadrangle of Cwrt's 19th century farm buildings - now redundant from agricultural use, including a two arched cart shed, barn, cow houses and stables.

The National Trust is investing into the future of Llŷn by building a multi-use base for the care and management of this internationally important area.

Some of the buildings will be adapted to provide amenities for local fishermen - including a cold store, ice-making machine, crab and fish processing unit, a cold storage space for bait, and a net repair room.