BIRD lovers all over Worcestershire are being urged to help save the county's disappearing owls.

The British Trust for Ornithology, which believes all five species of British owls are in decline, has launched an £85,000 appeal to fund research projects.

Nocturnal owls are not easy to count and information is needed on where they live and how many there are.

About 1,000 Worcestershire people already taking part in a Garden BirdWatch scheme will be asked to help with a Tawny Owl project.

Harry Green, of the BTO and Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, said Tawny, Barn and Little Owls were the ones most often found in Worcestershire.

"The other two, Short-eared and Long-eared, may turn up in winter, but they are unlikely to be breeding birds," he said.

"The most common are Tawny Owls, which are big and brown and fluffy. They are a woodland species, also found in parkland and suburbs where there are old trees.

"You don't often see them in the day time, but you might hear them at night.

"They are very noisy in the autumn, when they are driving their young out of the nest to fend for themselves."

Mr Green said Little Owls were only half the size of Tawny Owls and preferred farmland with a good scattering of trees, while Barn Owls liked to hunt in open country.

"If you are lucky, you might see the ghostly white shape of a Barn Owl while you are driving at night, but they have declined tremendously in the last 20 or 30 years," he said.

Conservation measures on Worcestershire Wildlife Trust's farm at Hindlip have obviously paid off, because project manager Carl Pickup said he frequently sees Barn Owls there.

"I have seen them quite a lot recently and we have a pair of Little Owls that have been around for a long time, but I haven't seen any Tawny Owls for a while," he said.

For information on making a Barn Owl or Tawny Owl nest box, or to contribute to the Owl Appeal, write to BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU.

Take a trip to Forest

YOUNGSTERS are being urged to trip the light fantastic and embark on a voyage of discovery through woodland.

Children aged five to 11 will be able to make a simple lantern out of a glass jar and use it to light their way around the Wyre Forest.

The Forestry Commission has organised the event, which takes place between 5pm and 7pm on Friday, October 29.

"You may hear owls, foxes and other nocturnal animals on the walk and later, enjoy hot soup in the visitor centre," said a Forestry Commission spokesman.

Children should wear warm clothes, non-slip shoes and take along a glass jar and torch to the event which costs £5 per person to include the soup.

To book a place, contact the Wyre Forest Discovery centre on 01299 266929.