The relentless winter rains have transformed the Somerset Levels into a vast, inland sea, creating a chaotic new ecosystem where survival is dictated by the ability to adapt. As the waters rise, a stark divide has emerged in the avian kingdom: while opportunistic gulls revel in a glut of food, the region’s iconic barn owls are facing a silent, deadly crisis.

Stephen Moss, a naturalist observing the unfolding drama, notes that extreme weather events act as a brutal sorting mechanism for wildlife. The flooding, the most severe in years, has fundamentally altered the landscape, turning grassy hunting grounds into inaccessible lakes. For some species, this is a bonanza; for others, it is a death sentence. The impact of these floods goes beyond a temporary displacement; it signals a shifting baseline for British wildlife in an era of climate volatility.

The Winners: A Gull’s Banquet

For the gull population, the floods have served up an unexpected feast. Huge flocks of black-headed, herring, and common gulls have descended upon the waterlogged fields, joined by rarer visitors like the Mediterranean and little gulls. The rising waters force invertebrates and small mammals to the surface, creating an easy buffet for these scavengers.

The abundance of food has even attracted apex predators. A white-tailed eagle, released as part of the Isle of Wight reintroduction project, has been spotted patrolling the skies above the flooded plains. For birdwatchers, the spectacle is mesmerizing, but it masks a darker reality unfolding in the hedgerows and barns.

The Losers: Owls in Peril

The primary victims of this deluge are the barn owls. These silent hunters rely on rough, dry grassland to hunt voles and mice—their staple diet. With the fields submerged, the rodent population has either drowned or fled to higher ground, leaving the owls with nothing to hunt. Furthermore, the barn owl is uniquely ill-equipped for wet weather; their soft feathers, designed for silent flight, are not waterproof. They cannot hunt in the rain, and once wet, they risk hypothermia.

• The Starvation Threat: Unable to hunt and struggling to stay warm, many barn owls are perishing from starvation in their roosts.
• Lapwing Struggles: The lapwings, usually at home in wetlands, are also suffering as the water is too deep for them to feed, forcing them to abandon their preferred grounds.
• The Forecast: With more rain predicted, the survival rate for this year’s brood of owls is expected to plummet.

The Climate Harbinger

This event serves as a microcosm of the broader ecological disruption caused by climate change. "The long-term forecast for our birdlife is not good," Moss warns. As winters become wetter and storms more frequent, species that evolved for a stable, temperate climate are being pushed to their limits. The resilience of the Somerset Levels is being tested, and for the barn owl, the breaking point may be dangerously close.

When the waters finally recede, the landscape will return, but the silence in the barns may last much longer. The floods have reshuffled the deck, and nature is playing a cruel hand.