OWLS ABOUT THAT FOR A RARITY
Bird enthusiasts have been flocking to Sunderland after a rare owl was spotted on the coast.
The scops owl, which measures only eight inches tall, has never been seen in the area before-and is the first sighting record on the North East coast for one hundred years.
Steve Evans from Durham Bird Club said: “How this one has come to cross the North Sea is a mystery - especially as it should be going the opposite direction.”
He added: “The last time it was seen in the UK was a decade ago. This is the first record on whole of the North East coast for a hundred years.
“Of the last ten sightings, six have been on inaccessible islands like Orkney, Shetland & Scillies-this was a very good opportunity for bird watchers to study a seldom seen species.”
The owl was first spotted by school teacher Tom Middleton in small rough valley on these awarded geofRy hope village.
Mr Evans said: “News broke via Durham Bird Club’s social media and national grapevines, with twitchers travelling straight away from as far afield as Sussex, Kent and Fife.
“At least 1,000 people visited to view the bird which spent its first day happily roosting in an elderberry bush.”
Mr Evans said birdwatchers had a spectacular chance to observe the owl when wet weather on Wednesday night meant it could not continue its migration.
“This gave more visitors the chance the rare opportunity to connect with the bird on a second day. One twitch er even left the Shetland Islands to make the long journey down to Ryhope in hope of securing a sighting,” he said.
Mr Evans said many people from the area had joined the visiting bird enthusiasts to see the owl, and were delighted to see what they described as a “canny” “cute” and “tidgey” creature.
V is itwww. durham bird club.org for more information.