Caingorms Snowy Owl Visitor (2 Viewers)

[Kits]

Fabulous visitor to Scotland!

Full article here.

A rare sighting of a snowy owl has been made in the Cairngorms.

The birds of prey are native to Arctic regions, including parts of Norway and North America.

The snowy owl in the Cairngorms was seen on 18 February and reported on the nature website iSpot earlier on Tuesday.

RSPB Scotland said that to see snowy owls in Scotland was rare. The last pair of snowy owls to breed in the UK was on Shetland in 1975.

 

[Scotlandbirds]

the shetland owld were probarly released

 

[aeshna5]

the shetland owld were probarly released

Evidence for that?

 

[Scotlandbirds]

scotland just isnt a country for snowy owls to breed, they probarly come here for a little while every year or so then return home so it would be extremely unlikely for two of them (coincidentally) to stay around and breed once or twice, them scram back to greenland or wherever

 

[Phil Andrews]

scotland just isnt a country for snowy owls to breed, they probarly come here for a little while every year or so then return home so it would be extremely unlikely for two of them (coincidentally) to stay around and breed once or twice, them scram back to greenland or wherever

So no evidence then 🙄

 

[Farnboro John]

Isn't it great that research and assessment take time and effort (not to mention financial resources) but pronouncement based on ignorance remains a free option to all!

John

 

[Scotlandbirds]

So no evidence then 🙄

what do you expect me to give you ? using your logic theres no evidence they ever bred in the first place 😂 theres litteraly no photos of the nest

 

[Phil Andrews]

what do you expect me to give you ? using your logic theres no evidence they ever bred in the first place 😂 theres litteraly no photos of the nest

I'm not sure what your agenda is here - you come on BirdForum asking about easy to find raptor nests and dissing well observed and documented Snowy Owl breeding over multiple years 🤔

 

[Scotlandbirds]

I'm not sure what your agenda is here - you come on BirdForum asking about easy to find raptor nests and dissing well observed and documented Snowy Owl breeding over multiple years 🤔

im not dissing it mate i just said they were probarly released

 

[Phil Andrews]

So in the 58 years since first breeding no one thought to mention this? Despite countless papers regqrding the occurrencs being produced at the time (sadly archived or behind paywalls) 😂🤡

With two females involved in the final year of breeding and up to four females present in the late 1970s someone clearly had too much money on their hands and kept releasing birds.

Judging by your posts I take it you are in your 20s - perhaps you have written a per reviewed paper as part of your doctorate setting out your scientific research on the matter? Or perhaps you are just talking 💩

 

[Scotlandbirds]

So in the 58 years since first breeding no one thought to mention this? Despite countless papers regqrding the occurrencs being produced at the time (sadly archived or behind paywalls) 😂🤡

With two females involved in the final year of breeding and up to four females present in the late 1970s someone clearly had too much money on their hands and kept releasing birds.

Judging by your posts I take it you are in your 20s - perhaps you have written a per reviewed paper as part of your doctorate setting out your scientific research on the matter? Or perhaps you are just talking 💩

I am not talking 💩 or "dissing" anyone, I didnt mean for my initial comment to come across so offensive to you, let me reword:

In my personal, independant opinion I am led to believe that the Bubo scandiacus that successfully bred on the island of Fetlar were most likely originally released from domestic care. My opinion stands here because of the fact that snowy owls never breed in scotland, faroes or iceland and the fact that it is an Arctic bird.

However these facts do not prove anything but provide evidence leaning towards a conclusion, there is counter arguements and evidence suggesting otherwise as well so I will hesitate to make such a bold comment ever again without ensuring no one gets offended.

Jonny

 

[Phil Andrews]

Perhaps if you had written "in my personal opinion" forum users could see your comment for what it is.

Snowy Owl undertook several irruptions in the 1960s, the outpost of Shetland being the logical conclusion.

Presumably the pair of Spotted Sandpiper which bred in Scotland were also released?

 

[Jos Stratford]

what do you expect me to give you ? using your logic theres no evidence they ever bred in the first place 😂 theres litteraly no photos of the nest

There are photographs

 

[Jos Stratford]

There are photographs

Can be seen in THIS LINK for example

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

As someone who was into wildlife in general at the time of the Fetlar “colonisation”, I do not recall any questions of provenance at the time. Your facts are few; the point is that extremely rare occurrences do not have precedents, that is merely a feature of their rarity; by this argument the British list cannot grow as no individual can be the first to ever occur! Is it surprising that the population did not become established? No, with the combination of food supply and random events hitting small populations. Do I think you have no right to be personally incredulous? No, but I don’t think you will sway the “belief” of those old-timers who were aware of the event at the time!

 

[Scotlandbirds]

Can be seen in THIS LINK for example

guess i was wrong about that one then

 

[Scotlandbirds]

Perhaps if you had written "in my personal opinion" forum users could see your comment for what it is.

Snowy Owl undertook several irruptions in the 1960s, the outpost of Shetland being the logical conclusion.

Presumably the pair of Spotted Sandpiper which bred in Scotland were also released?

dont know, dont have any intrest in those

 

[Phil Andrews]

dont know, dont have any intrest in those

The point being it's a North American species which successfully bred in Scotland.

Worth having a look at the Rare Breeding Bird Panel report (sadly only covering 1975 to 2017) which shows a continued presence of SO on Shetlands well into the 1990s plus birds in other potentially suitable locations in the breeding season. I suspect the post 2017 reports (unfortunately not available online) will also show birds in viable spots on viable dates.

 

[seawatcher]

Suggest reading the excellent monograph by Popov and Sale about the Snowy Owl, which gives an insight into the biology including breeding and movements of these enigamtic birds. This species is a true nomad, which can occur anywhere in the northern hemisphere where there is a plentiful supply of voles or lemmings. Natural occurence on Fetlar is possible. As Snowy Owls can form loose "boids" with several birds in one area given suitable conditions, then it is highly likely that the Fetlar birds found their own way there. No-one has disputed their origins until now. The claim in a post above that they were probably released is a load of cobblers! SW

 

[pica pica]

The point being it's a North American species which successfully bred in Scotland.

They are circumpolar and breed right across Eurasia including Norway.