A Co Down farmer is celebrating after a barn owl successfully bred on his land for the third year in a row.
There are less than 30 breeding pairs of the rare bird in Northern Ireland.
Work to support the owls on the Kelly family farm in Ballyalton, near Newtownards, paid off for the third year, offering hope to conservationists.
However, it has been emphasised that investment is essential to ensure further success.
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has been urged to prioritise the new Farming with Nature scheme as a matter of urgency to ensure farmland species are not lost forever.
While the distinctive barn owl was once a common sight, and welcomed by farmers for their help with pest control, the loss of rough grassland, thick hedgerows, and old trees for nesting saw their numbers have plummet.
The Kelly family has been working with conservation charities Ulster Wildlife and RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) NI to bring nature back to the farm.
Ten barn owl nest boxes have been erected to provide much-needed nesting sites.
The first success came in 2023 when the farm welcomed its first breeding pair.
The owls have since returned every year, raising three chicks in the boxes.
Adam Kelly said the family was delighted to see them breeding for the third year in a row.
"We are very fortunate to have barn owls on our farm all year long.
"It gives us a great sense of achievement and proves that what we are doing on the farm is working.
"As we are a cereal farm, it means there is plenty of feed for mice and rats, which in turn provides prey for barn owls and other birds of prey.
"Seeing barn owls breed here for three years running is the ultimate reward for farming with nature."
The Kelly farm is part of the County Down Farmland Bird Initiative, a project within the Environmental Farming Scheme, facilitated by RSPB NI.
Agri-environment schemes, such as this, support farmers to create and maintain vital habitats for wildlife and have been crucial to the success.
However, with a new Farming with Nature scheme under development, and no current support available to farmers, conservationists have warned that continued investment is essential.
Senior conservation officer with Ulster Wildlife, Katy Bell, urged the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to prioritise the scheme.
"Nature is in trouble across Northern Ireland, with one in nine species at risk of extinction, but farmers can be part of the solution.
"The Kelly family farm is proof that farming and wildlife can thrive together and shows what’s possible when farmers are supported to work with nature through agri-environment schemes.
"We urge the department to prioritise the new Farming with Nature scheme as a matter of urgency to ensure iconic farmland species, like the barn owl, are not lost from our landscape forever."
Conservation officer with RSPB NI, Michelle Duggan, said: "We are absolutely delighted that these magnificent barn owls have decided to make the Kellys’ farm their home to raise their young again.
"The farm’s seed-rich habitats provide an essential winter food source for farmland birds like the endangered yellowhammer, while also offering ideal territory for barn owls to hunt for small mammal prey.
"The rough grass margins and impressive hedgerows enhance the barn owl hunting territory even further.
"This farm shows that nature-friendly farming works when farmers have the right tools and support.
"That’s why we want to see investment in this and for the department to prioritise the development and delivery of the new Farming with Nature Package."
