Barn owls have strong breeding season

West Penwith is home to some very fluffy and photogenic barn owlets, said the National Trust

Barn owlets in part of Cornwall had a particularly strong breeding season this year, with 21 owlets successfully fledged, the National Trust has said.

Rangers working with the West Cornwall Ringing Group said they recorded an average of 3.3 chicks per box in West Penwith, compared to 2.4 elsewhere in the wider area.

Although below the long-term average of 4.3, the figures were described as "successful" by the charity, and driven by collaboration after a challenging spring that reduced prey numbers.

Shaun Boyns, ranger in the West Cornwall countryside team said "Barn owls are a great indicator species - when they're thriving, it's a sign the wider ecosystem is healthy too."

Good land management is considered part of the reason for successful figures

The charity said the results showed what was possible when there was a "strong partnership between farmers, rangers and conservation groups".

It said it had also been an unusually successful year for bats too, especially at Godolphin near Helston, where nine species had been recorded.

Habitat management, healthy hay meadows and connected woodland allowed insects to thrive - a vital food source for bats - and created the sheltered spaces they needed to feed, navigate and roost, it added.

Bird numbers also rose across west Cornwall, with a reported 80% of surveyed sites showing an increase in bird species - Godolphin stood out again as a top performer.

The National Trust said these findings "reflect a bigger story... managing land for wildlife helps both nature and people, and it hopes to build on this success across Cornwall".