Nature conservation and especially the plight of our birds has been of paramount concern to Dr Bob Sheppard for much of his life. Since moving to Bourne in 1975, he has been advising farmers on the creation of suitable habitats and installing nest boxes for many species in a wide variety of locations, more than 1,000 of them specially made for owls, a task that has won him the nickname of the owl man.

A Yorkshireman by birth, he originally worked as a teacher but Lincolnshire has become his adopted home for his work as a naturalist and he is quick to point out that the county has more barn owls than any other in Britain. But he has also developed a nest box for little owls and provides platforms for peregrine falcons and every year, he and his colleague, Alan Ball from Sleaford, ring more than a thousand birds of prey.

Not that the smaller species escape his interest. In March 2012, he trapped and ringed a great spotted woodpecker in his back garden at Beech Avenue for the second time in ten years. The bird was originally caught in April 2001 as part of a ringing scheme administered by the British Trust for Ornithology who confirmed that the bird was the oldest of its species discovered in Britain, beating the previous record set up in 1976 by a woodpecker in Kent.

He and Alan Ball have been ringing birds for more than 30 years and they are now hoping to set up a similar record for a blue tit which is currently held by a nine-year-old bird, also from Kent. At present, there are three blue tits in Dr Sheppard's garden which are all seven years old.

Dr Sheppard is also an active member of the Friends of Bourne Wood, the conservation group dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of the 400 acres of woodland on the outskirts of the town where he has been instrumental in implementing a bid box scheme. Fifty-seven were installed in January 2011 after being financed with a grant from the Len Pick Trust and are now monitored regularly.

In June 2012, Dr Sheppard was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to nature conservation. "I was surprised but thrilled to be recognised in this way, something you do not expect for the work you do", he said. "But I consider that the honour reflects the hard work and co-operation of the farmers, landowners and drainage boards in the area. There has also been a lot of hard work by Alan Ball who helps monitor the nesting boxes during the summer."

He added: "I have no plans to give up conservation work yet. Despite the high population of owls in the county, there are still areas of Lincolnshire that could increase their own numbers if more nesting boxes are provided."

THE OWL MAN Dr Sheppard with two baby owls. "There is still plenty of opportunity to increase their numbers in Lincolnshire", he said.
Dr Sheppard receiving his award from the Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, Tony Worth, during a presentation ceremony at the Red Hall, Bourne.

NOTE: Additional reporting from The Local newspaper Friday 22nd June 2012.

See also Bird and bat boxes

REVISED NOVEMBER 2012