Eagle Owl spotted in grounds of Hamilton school

Jan 28 2010 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

AN unusual feathered visitor turned up in the grounds of a Hamilton primary school at the weekend.

Residents living next to Chatelherault Primary School were amazed to find an eagle owl perched in pine trees there.

The bird of prey, a native of Scandinavia, Russia and Eastern Europe, measured more than 2ft in height and stayed in the trees for a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon.

It was later seen sitting on a roof in nearby Cedar Crescent.

However, ornithologists suspect it may be an escaped bird, rather than a wild creature.

Retired John Ogilvie High School teacher Anne McKay, who lives near the primary school, said: “It was quite a sight. I’ve never seen an owl that big before. It was huge.

“There was a lot of squawking from crows who were unhappy about it being there.

“It had beautiful plumage and made quite an impression. It fanned out one of its wings while it was perched there. It was colossal.”

Mrs McKay next day visited retail outlet McKinnon Mills and witnessed a display by birds of prey centre World of Wings.

Among the birds on show was an eagle owl.

She added: “Having seen the display, I’m in no doubt that what I’d seen a day before was an eagle owl.”

Advertiser nature correspondent Tom McGregor this week pointed out that an eagle owl escaped from a Lanarkshire garden centre a decade or so ago but doubted this was the same creature.

He explained: “Colonies of escaped eagle owls have been springing up and down the Pennines.

“There may be 40 pairs in the UK, all in that part of England.

“There’s a vague chance that the Hamilton bird has flown in from mainland Europe but I think it’s more likely to have escaped from somewhere.

“They are not regarded by most people to be a serious threat, but in theory they could take a cat.”

He pointed out that the golden eagle and white-tailed sea eagle are the only British birds of prey larger than the eagle owl.

He added: “The long-eared owl is the only owl we have that is anywhere similar, but it’s half the size of an eagle owl and skulks about in bushes, not in tall trees.”

RSPB conservation officer Toby Wilson said: “Eagle owls like this one are occasionally reported in Scotland, but they are probably all birds that have escaped from captivity or been deliberately released.

“Hundreds are kept as pets throughout the UK. Evidence suggests that eagle owls have never occurred as natural residents in Scotland. Whilst they are spectacular to see in their native environment, allowing captive birds to escape and live in the wild is a very bad idea, as local wildlife may suffer as a result.”