Back in mid April 2005, I located a Long-eared Owl nest on some land south of Newark. It was in the top of an old pear tree, and the give-away was a head poking out of the top, with two ear tufts... Back then I did a bit of ringing with Jim Lennon from South Notts Ringing Group, so we headed out one evening in mid June with a triple ladder to ring the chicks - four in all.
One of these birds was found with a broken wing earlier this month, by the A1 at Long Bennington - just 6-7km away from the ringing location Unfortunately it was sufficiently badly injured that it had to be put down; and at 4677 days since ringing, it was just 23 days short of the BTOs longevity record (held by a bird from Aberdeenshire). What a shame.
Who doesn't want to see a Snowy Owl? Ever since not seeing the Felixstowe bird back when ever that was, I've wanted to see one, although I've never been tempted to drive far, figuring one will turn up within striking distance eventually. Eventually was this Friday; of course I couldn't go then, what with work. However, with my parents up for the weekend, my suggestions of a family trip to Norfolk on Saturday were not taken seriously (they had, after all, just driven up from Suffolk). We did have a quick outing to Collingham on Saturday, though, where I finally caught up with some Smew for the year - two drakes and three redheads.
Sunday was Mothering Sunday, and we had both sets of family around. Everyone departed just before 4, and having shown Amy yet another picture of the Snowy Owl, she suggested I just go and see it, presumably so she'd get some peace and quiet. So I did. My worry was running out of daylight, althugh the A17 was relatively painless, so after parking up at the Snettisham RSPB carpark and yomping south I had the bird in my sights at quarter to 6. Snowy Owl! Phew.
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| Snowy Owl |
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| Snowy Owl |
It showed nicely for the next 35 minutes or so, sat on the inner floodbank. It started to get a bit more animated as dusk fell, stretching its neck and head bobbing, then taking flight and dropping down behind the bank, before reappearing, which it did once more; it then flew past those few of us who were still lingering, swerving in flight at a rabbit, and then powering southwest along the floodbank on its huge wings. What. A. Bird. The consensus seems to be it is a first-winter female, based on the extent of dark barring, but I'm not going to pretend I know anything beyond the basics about ageing or sexing this species.
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| The Wash at dusk |
