Snowy Owl, Burren

Thorbjorn

Hello guys,

Not really a birdwatching person, but I thought I'd share this with those interested. While out hiking the northwestern Burren in Co. Clare a few months back (January-ish) I came across a very large male snowy owl (I assume it's a male from my brief internet research - all white plumage). I meant to post something up about it back then but (typically) forgot. Well, I was back in the same area today and saw him again. Looks like he's taken up permanent habitation of the area. According to the Birdwatch Ireland website they are extremely rare migrant birds and have only ever been spotted in northern Connaught. Should I report it to someone, e.g. Birdwatch Ireland or similar? Also, if anyone is in the north Clare area I can give the co-ordinates for the summit of the hill he seems to live on, if anyone wants to try and get a look. He's a beauty.

magicbastarder

this would be the first site i would think of to report it:
http://records.biodiversityireland.ie/

also this:
http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web?task=BasicBirdSightingSearch

fryup

are you 100% positive its a snowy owl??

It has been reported in papers since 2014. Even the hill at Ballyvaughan where it is sighted has been named

magicbastarder

https://www.facebook.com/wildireland/posts/10152679431422665

Thorbjorn

Deleted User wrote: »

It has been reported in papers since 2014. Even the hill at Ballyvaughan where it is sighted has been named

Yeah, I just found a few newspaper reports of it from back then (can't post links, new user). Pretty cool that it's become a permanent resident. From what I've read it's only the second one in the country after one in Donegal.

Capercaillie

Thorbjorn wrote: »

Yeah, I just found a few newspaper reports of it from back then (can't post links, new user). Pretty cool that it's become a permanent resident. From what I've read it's only the second one in the country after one in Donegal.

Winetering female On Mullet peninsula for several years.

Woodville56

As mentioned in the Facebook entry quoted above, there's a Birds of Prey centre at the Aillwee Cave Visitor Centre in the Burren - do they have Snowy Owl? Could it be a bird from there just out and about or gone awol ?

Thorbjorn

Woodville56 wrote: »

As mentioned in the Facebook entry quoted above, there's a Birds of Prey centre at the Aillwee Cave Visitor Centre in the Burren - do they have Snowy Owl? Could it be a bird from there just out and about or gone awol ?

According to a newspaper report on him, Aillwee Caves were contacted and no, they have never had a snowy owl in their collection.

Hotei

'Irish Birding' will have a record of recent (and not so recent) sightings of Snowy Owls in Ireland: http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web
Just click on 'Sightings' and enter Snowy Owl in the 'Keywords' box.

I was looking at the records myself, and there have been 125 sightings of Snowy Owls in Ireland since 2007. Most were seen along the west coast from Donegal down to Clare.

fryup

can you see it during daytime?

Hotei

fryup wrote: »

can you see it during daytime?

Yes.
If you go to Irish Birding you can see images attached to some of the recorded sightings, and all were taken during daylight hours.

Tytoalba

I would be very grateful if you could message me the details as I live near there and study owls. Thanks a million.