Tengmalm's Owl Drops In

A slightly unusual occurrence happened last week when a Tengmalm's Owl (Aegolius funereus) dropped in on a garden in the Shetland Isles. These wonderful small Owls live all around the edge of the Arctic Circle in the Boreal Forests and this one has probably been blown in from Northern Europe, possibly paying a visit while it still has freedom of movement. ????

They aren't a common visitor but have been known to make it to the UK before. It is a wonderful sighting and adds more weight to the argument that the larger European Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) could make it across the North Sea and take up residence here. 

The team at Rodbaston managed to breed our captive pair of Tengmalm's this year and the offspring have now left to join other breeding programs.