Snowy Owl – flanks of Shore Hill, Unst, Shetland, 28^th May 1990

Oh, that they were all so easy! Within five minutes of driving off the Gutcher to Belmont ferry between Yell and Unst, we were scrutinising a tea-cosy on the hillside, which I had seen as we drove north – in a way reminiscent of the Capercaillie – through my lucky window in the passenger door of Dave McAleavy’s car. On grilling, the tea cosy turned into a Snowy Owl. Wonderful! Huge size (it was a female)!

Not a lot more to add really, Dave’s contemporary photographs do convey at least something of what we saw. 

I will though add, that when, within the next couple of days, Dave and I were outside the Sumburgh Hotel, I had the rather perverse pleasure of advising Bobby Tulloch (who was there with a bird tour group) of just where he and his group could see one of ‘his’ Snowy Owls! (By way of context, as we are talking of events in the late 1960s(!), Bobby Tulloch was very much the man associated with the Snowy Owls which successfully bred on Fetlar, of which this bird was a last remnant. As I was to learn many years later, besides being Mr Snowy Owl, Bobby was also colloquially known as 'Tubby Bollock' 😅).

In typical fashion, within eight months of ‘twitching’ the Shetland Snowy Owl during my pilgrimage to the far north, one turned up in England, touring the east coast from early 1991 onwards.

This gave all and sundry the chance to get it on their lists, causing me to curse everyone else catching up with this tick so soon after I had trailed all the way to Unst.

Nonetheless, I saw it twice, having to be content with its value on various non-existent year / country / county lists.

On the first occasion, it was near Friskney / Wainfleet All Saints in Lincolnshire where Gary and I ‘twitched’ it en route to Lincoln City versus Burnley on the 19th  January 1991. It was resting in a ploughed field where it was visible after a yomp along the flood embankment protecting arable farmland to the north-west of The Wash from being reclaimed by the sea. As a result of the colour of the local soil, the bird was discoloured and was vaguely pink.... . Having seen it, Gary and I realised that we were potentially going to be late for our intended visit to Sincil Bank, and so we started jogging back to the car along the flood embankment. We were asked by birders if we were running for something else. Naturally we replied, “Yes. Lincoln City v. Burnley,” which caused some confusion...... .

On the second occasion, it was at Burnham Market in Norfolk to where Pete, Mike and I travelled to see it on the 24th March 1991. Much more recently, there has been other opportunities to see Snowy Owls in Shetland when I have been there in autumn, but I haven't taken the opportunity. 

Dave McAleavy's contemporary photographs (I'll admit I don't remember flushing it!).

Snowy Owl, Unst, Shetland 1990 (photograph credited to Tim Loseby)