Scandinavian birds of prey set to invade Britain

The short-eared owl was battling to reach the Scottish coast

More than 100 miles from land this owl is very much all at sea.

And it is in the vanguard of an invasion which could see hundreds flocking here from Scandinavia.

The short-eared owl battling towards Scotland was one of four spotted at dawn by birdwatcher Andy Williams flying low over the North Sea halfway between Norway and Aberdeen.

Andy, who is working on a survey vessel in the North Sea in the Forties area, said on his pelagicbirder blog: "A couple of days ago I was treated to four short-eared owls flying over the sea and heading WSW. Quite a weird sight seeing these lovely birds on passage over the waves.

"I saw them all in the first hour of daylight so my photos are not the best but they will have to do.

"I saw two single birds then two together and it was interesting to see them occasionally harried and mobbed by the herring and great black backed gulls - as if the owls did not have enough to contend with!

"Although their buoyant flight was relatively strong one bird almost ditched as it banked sharply to avoid an aerial assault from a herring gull. Hopefully they all made it ashore."

This was one of four owls spotted flying over the rough seas

Every winter short-eared owls descend on Britain, particularly the east coast, as they quit the Arctic chill in Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia to hunt for rodents.

And there could be many more on their way, according to Paul Stancliffe of the British Trust for Ornithology.

He said there have already been unusually large numbers of rough-legged buzzards, large frosty-coloured birds of prey, which also come here each winter from Scandinavia.

And they may be blazing a trail for the short-eared owls.

Paul said: "The buzzards come for two reasons - either it's very cold in Scandinavia or there's no food.

"So far it has been mild in Scandinavia but there are food shortages.

"There were good numbers of lemmings earlier in the year but the population has now crashed which almost certainly resulted in the influx of Rough-legged buzzards here.

"A good breeding season followed by a crash in Lemmings means that these birds will have had to move or starve.

"So I would also assume that as a result any time now we should start seeing more short-eared owls.

"Fortunately Britain has had a good vole year and as a result Barn Owls have had a very good breeding season.

'The rough-legged buzzards and short-eared owls don't know this when they leave their breeding grounds and are taking a risk by crossing the North Sea to come here - but this year they are in luck."