Snowy owl flies in for cold blast

A MAJESTIC snowy owl has flown in from the icy wastes of the Arctic to find new hunting ground on the Cornish coast.

The arrival of the mighty bird, which has a 6ft wingspan, has delighted birdwatchers and in the past week, hundreds have made their way to the village of Zennor, between St Ives and St Just.

Snowy owls have been spotted only on rare occasions in England in recent times.

The bird is ideally suited for the freezing temperatures the Westcountry has experienced recently. It would have hatched somewhere on Canada's icy tundra last summer and, as food supplies dwindled, made the epic flight across the Atlantic.

At one stage, the young female bird is believed to have touched down on a transatlantic vessel to rest before reaching the Cornish coast.

This picture was taken by construction worker Jon Evans, from Suffolk.

He said: "I have seen snowy owls in zoos but nothing prepared me for what truly wonderful birds they are when you see them in the wild. I had driven down through the night from Suffolk. I took a lot of shots of it sitting there with its big yellow eyes.

"But only when it took off on those broad, white wings did I appreciate that the snowy owl is a truly majestic bird."

The snowy owl found fame in recent years after author J K Rowling chose the bird as Harry Potter's pet in the children's books.

Only two of the wild birds have been spotted in England since 1991.