Did you know that Barn Owls can't digest the fur and bones of the rodents they eat, which they usually swallow whole?

So what happens to them if they aren't digested? The Owl has to regurgitate it in the form of an Owl pellet. You often find Owl pellets at roosting or nesting sites and they are usually the size of a mans thumb and are black when fresh (turning grey as they get older), and an Owl can produce 1-2 pellets after a night's hunting. Owl pellets can be a really good way of finding out what an Owl has been eating by dissecting them and analysing what bones are in them. In these sessions you will be guided through the dissection of an Owl pellet so you can analyse and discover what an Owl has had for it's tea. Can you find the bones of a vole, shrew or mouse? Or will... Read more

Have you always wanted to have a go at sculpting out of air dry clay?

This Christmas holidays why not channel your inner Michelangelo with our air dry clay. You can sculpt a life like model of yourself, make a Christmas decoration, or create more abstract version of your favourite bird. Something perfect to do when the weather is bleak and cold and you want to stay in the nice warm Visitor Centre, near the coffee, cookies and crisps. Available everyday (except 24, 25 and 26 December when we are closed) over the Christmas holidays (Saturday 20 December - Sunday 4 January) for £4 for the clay and all the tools you need to create your masterpiece.

Why not also have a go at Owl Pellet Dissection every Saturday and Sunday or Rock Painting available every day?... Read more

The perfect Christmas present is just a stone's throw away when you paint a rock with your very own hands! Join us over the Christmas holidays (Saturday 20 December - Sunday 4 January) and have a go at some rock painting. The perfect present for someone who loves that homemade touch, you choose your rock and spend some time concentrating on the perfect picture to show them how much they... rock.

Available every day (except 24, 25 and 26 December when we are closed) over the Christmas holidays, £3 per rock.

Why not also have a go at Owl Pellet Dissection on every Saturday and Sunday and Air Dry Clay sculpting?

Picture by Aaron Scott Richards (rspb-images.com)

Did you know that Barn Owls can't digest the fur and bones of the rodents they eat, which they usually swallow whole?

So what happens to them if they aren't digested? The Owl has to regurgitate it in the form of an Owl pellet. You often find Owl pellets at roosting or nesting sites and they are usually the size of a mans thumb and are black when fresh (turning grey as they get older), and an Owl can produce 1-2 pellets after a night's hunting. Owl pellets can be a really good way of finding out what an Owl has been eating by dissecting them and analysing what bones are in them. In these sessions you will be guided through the dissection of an Owl pellet so you can analyse and discover what an Owl has had for it's tea. Can you find the bones of a vole, shrew or mouse? Or will... Read more