Mr Salter, who is a full-time bricklayer by trade, said his fascination with barn owls began when he was a child – however it wasn’t until he got his first car at 21 that he began his conservation work.
“I saw an article on the news about a guy in Lincolnshire who was putting up nest boxes for barn owls.
“I remember watching that, and a lightbulb moment went off in my head. I thought, that’s what I’m going to do.”
What began with five boxes in his first year has gradually increased to more than 350, which are scattered across fields and on farms in the area.
As well as monitoring and maintaining the boxes alongside farmers and landowners, Mr Salter’s volunteer work also includes putting rings on owlets’ legs so they can be identified.
It also helps give an indication of how many are born per year.
In 2025 so far, Mr Salter has ringed 304 owlets – compared with 95 in 2024.
He said he hoped the total for this year would be 325.
“All these young birds that are going to be going out there, pairing up, and rearing young of their own in future years. It’s a really big boost for barn owls. That’s why it’s so important to have years like this.”
Mr Salter said the increase was because of a similar increase in field vole numbers in the area, the primary food source for barn owls.