Bucket list bird

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. 

Snowy Owl

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. 

The Wash at dusk