Saturday 10 March 2018

20180310 Snowy Owl Thornham Point

Snowy Owl
Resulting field sketch to commemorate a great day.
See Gallery tab above.


Snowy Owl
1st winter female happily on the deck in dunes for over 10mins....



Snowy Owl
Flushed by the twitch arriving on dune top behind bird...

Snowy Owl
Rain early morning causing underparts to look rather bedraggled. 

Snowy Owl 
Flew over our position and out onto the beach.

Snowy Owl

Following on from last month's article further research on the Snowy Owl has sadly highlighted its declining status, this fantastic species now faces a high risk of extinction.

The Iconic Snowy Owl has recently been classed as vulnerable and moved onto the Red List by the IUCN. Following work by BirdLife International this nomadic and patchy breeder is less numerous and widespread than previously thought. The global population could be as low as 5,000 pairs. Illegal hunting as ever and collisions with vehicles are cited as reasons for the decline along with the effects of climate change in the high Arctic. Snow melt can affect the availability and distribution of lemmings their primary prey species during the breeding period. Its breeding distribution is in the tundra climatic zone and circumpolar so you would think well away from any unhelpful attention from humanoids. Unfortunately the Owl prefers an exposed dry hummock on which to nest and to also act as a lookout post with all-round views. Being a nomadic breeder nest sites are not usually reused in successive years.

The Snowy Owl is adapted to the severities of its habitat in having dense and downy plumage with the feathers also concealing its bill and legs. This adaptation to tundra is reflected in habitat preferences of winter vagrants occurring on sparsely vegetated islands, as at Scolt Head, coasts with extensive salt marsh, and inland moors. The bird that turned up on the North Norfolk Coast was considered to be a first winter female due to extensive dark brown barring. First winter males are less contrasted the barring is lighter brown and less distinct. From a distance young males have a pale brown appearance, whereas young females look grey. This female on the morning of 10th March looked even darker as it rain heavily overnight and into the early hours, her underparts looking bedraggled and black as water logged. Females are even larger than males by about 20%, and almost the size of the Eurasian Eagle Owl, the biggest of all owls.

Snowy Owl
Found the only post out on Thornham Point

Snowy Owl