Step outside into the Somerset countryside and join host Arthur Cole as he walks the fields, woodlands, and margins of the Newt estate with naturalist and countryman David Morris. In this episode, they go deep into the hidden world of the barn owl, one of Britain's most iconic yet endangered birds.

From the extraordinary biology behind the barn owl's heart-shaped facial disc and its radar-like hearing, ten times more sensitive than the human ear, to the way it hunts in near-total silence over rough grassland, this conversation reveals a creature perfectly honed by evolution yet walking a knife edge of survival.

David and Arthur explore the five British owl species, the very real threats posed by road mortality, intensive farming, and rodenticides, and why creating the right habitat is the single most powerful thing we can do to bring barn owls back. They also share genuine cause for hope, including the first barn owl chicks to be ringed on the Newt estate, and a vision of what David calls "nature farming," where productive land and thriving wildlife are not enemies but partners.

Whether you are a birder, a farmer, a conservationist, or simply someone who has ever caught a fleeting flash of white across a dark country lane, this episode will change the way you see the landscape around you.

The Newt Podcast is created by the team at The Newt in Somerset and produced by Harry Coade at Sound Matters. If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Newt Podcast to enjoy more walks and talks across the estate, or better still become a Newt Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online. 

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

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