These stunning shots of a swooping short-eared owl were captured at dusk by Tom Goffe, Assistant Forestry Contracts Manager at Nicholsons, on a recent visit to one of the nine newly-planted woodlands on the Blenheim Estate.

Short-eared owls are often seen hunting during the day, and are of European conservation concern, and so are classed as an ‘Amber List’ species.

Nicholsons worked in partnership with Morgan Sindall Group plc and the Forestry Commission to plant the 270,000 trees used to create the publicly accessible woodlands along the Dorn and Glyme river valleys, now home to a wealth of flora and fauna.

As well as living next door to Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, residents of Blenheim Estate Homes’ stunning Park View development in Woodstock have a wealth of nature on their doorstep, including these new wooded habitats.

The scheme is part of Blenheim Estate’s wider commitment to developing its ‘natural capital’.