Snowy owl returns to the Hebrides for 8th year

07/04/2010 11:48:30

Lonely lovebird continues quest for soul mate

April 2010. The snowy owl first appeared on the Outer Hebrides in 2003, and every since year he has taken up his pattern of nomadic wandering in his quest for a mate. In the past, his search has taken him all around the islands, including visits to North Uist, Lewis, Harris and even remote St Kilda, but sadly all to no avail.

He was identified as male when his white feathers lost some of the black flecking more commonly recorded in younger snowy owls. From his plumage and visits, local RSPB Scotland staff can ascertain he is the same bird and has been without a mate for years now.

Second male appeared in 2008
Hopes were raised in 2008 when the bird was joined by another snowy owl, but dreams of a happy ending were dashed when it emerged he too was also male.

Snowy owl breeding in the UK

The first UK breeding record was when a pair nested on Fetlar in Shetland in 1967 and for the next eight years. They produced 21 young over the period. A second female joined the pair in 1974 and 1975 and, although she laid eggs, none hatched. In 1976, the male failed to return. The two females summered on Fetlar until 1993, but no further male joined them and no breeding has occurred since. Snowy owl on Guernsey

Pair bred in Shetland in 1975
No snowy owl has bred in Britain since 1975 when famously a pair bred in Shetland. Given minimal human disturbance the Western Isles would be an ideal site for the birds to breed as it has a plentiful supply of rabbits and lots of open moorland and rocky landscapes.

Martin Scott, RSPB Scotland Conservation Officer, said: "With all the snow this winter he has gone unreported for a couple of months, but is now back visiting his old haunts. We are monitoring his movements but in reality all we can do is keep our fingers crossed that he will find another wandering bird, and this time it will be female."

Snowy Owls are rare visitors to Britain and Ireland but there has been an increase in records in the past three years. This particular bird on the Western Isles has been a major draw for visitors and has become something of a local celebrity.