In this talk Sam will introduce the Little Owl with a brief description of its cultural history and population status. His talk will then describe his work on habitat surveys around nest sites along with contents of owl pellets in these areas and the relationship between habitat components of each nest site and diet. He will then describe how he used the habitat survey data to create and model potentially suitable Little Owl habitat in Gloucestershire.

The meet-up time for this trip is 0930 in the Reserve car park which can be found about halfway along Lower Sandhurst Road. The reserve is situated a couple of miles to the south east of Finchampstead, which in turn is perhaps 6 miles south east of Reading. From Finchampstead take the B3016 southwards and turn right into Cricket Hill which then becomes Lower Sandhurst Road. The car park is on the right after about ½ a mile. The habitat is gravel pits and woodlands with open spaces. See you there.