Snowy Owl

[Scots_Charles_River]

As I was driving back at about 8pm, on tuesday,not the normal active time for a this bird, I spotted a Snowy Owl, full white body, male, gliding low above my car as it passed and landed on a fence post next to a field. It was just off the M9 at junction 4.

Checked the ID carefully, both online and my books.

Gonna check for pellets and spot a nesting area. There is an old unused barn in the same field. I can't see this nesting on the ground here.

Hopefully spot it today and maybe get a photo.

Nick

 

[alpha_centaur]

I could be wrong but I think snowies are ground nesters. Also if it is nesting stay well away, you really don't wanna **** off a broody female.

 

[w00dsmoke]

I doubt a snowy owl is going to nest anywhere near there folks. I may be wrong but the only time I thought they nested or tried to nest was on Fetlar in Shetland. I saw a female on Fetlar when I was 15 a long time ago.

Most white owl like birds are actually barn owls, as they often appear white or very ghost like a dusk. A snowy owl is HUGE, think of the one in Harry Potter. It could be an escaped bird or a very rare migrant. I'd be very surprised if it was but then again a white egret turned up near Glasgow not long ago as well as a sea eagle...so who knows.

WS

 

[Scrimmy]

Very unlikely, more likely barn owl, although it could be a captive bird, but it also could be a wild bird on the move, but definately won't have a breeding site in the area. Fetlar was the last bredidng site, and the Snowy owl is being debated about being removed from the British list. Cain

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

It was very close to the car so the colour, all white and the wingspan, very rounded wingtips, was ~5ft. I was thinking it may be an escpaed bird from a Bird of Prey Centre.

Nick

 

[traderran]

would like to see that one