VIDEO: Rare sighting of Snowy Owl on Wainfleet Marsh

A rare sighting of a Snowy Owl on the marsh at Wainfleet is expected to bring a large number of bird spotters to the area.
There has been a rare sighting of a Snowy Owl at Wainfleet Marsh. ANL-180321-164836001There has been a rare sighting of a Snowy Owl at Wainfleet Marsh. ANL-180321-164836001
There has been a rare sighting of a Snowy Owl at Wainfleet Marsh. ANL-180321-164836001

The sighting was reported by a local dog walker this morning to Kev Wilson, Nature Reserve Warden at Gibraltar Point.

Mr Wilson told the Standard it was the first time there has been such a sighting there since 1990.

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He said: “The bird was found this morning by a local dog walker.

“This bird was seen in Norfolk earlier in the month but proved quite mobile and often difficult to find.

“It is a female, believed to be of wild origin – no doubt forced south from the arctic by the freezing weather.

“It has been missing for the last week and thought maybe to have gone back up north but there was always suspicion that it might turn up in Lincolnshire as it had made its way progressively west along the North Norfolk coast.”

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A small team of wardens and volunteers from Gibraltar Point visited Wainfleet Marsh today and checked out about five kilometres of the Wash frontage.

Mr Wilson said: “The bird was tucked out of sight until a vehicle drove across the marsh road and flushed it into view.

“I expect around 100 birders will have travelled to see it already today.”