An adult female eagle owl has been spotted flying over Cleadon Hills in South Shields and Boldon Flats Nature Reserve in recent months. Many bird watchers believe the female bird, which has a 5ft wingspan, must be an escapee. However, the owl has been worrying many walkers, after swooping down and has even ripped a man’s jacket, and there’s talk that she’s helped herself to a few stray cats from the local farm.
Read the complete story here but be warned the article contains a lot of journalistic licence most of which is not factual. For instance the rediculas claim eagle owls can kill large animal such as deer which of course is complete rubbish. The next thing someone will be claiming is they have witnessed an eagle owl carrying off a baby! Why must everyone automatically believe any eagle owl they see in the natural environment is an escapee? Isn’t it just possible to be a bird which originated and fledged from a nest in the wild? After all it was only a few years ago one of the 2007 fledglings from the Bowland nest was found dead south of Edinburgh.
Here we go again with more stupid and unfounded rubbish from the press who don’t know one end of an owl from another, things like a few cats seem to be missing out of 25 at a local farm etc etc suggests that this owl may have taken them. Stick to the facts for God’s sake, although sadly the truth does not sell papers, it may be wild or it could be an escapee nobody knows ,but printing some of the rubbish in this newspaper article does not bode well for this magnificent owl, there are plenty of persecutors out there just looking for an opportunity to kill a raptor I just hope this owl is left alone or if there is an owner out there he/she is doing their level best to recover it.
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It seems that this owl does indeed belong to some irresponsible person who lost her a year ago and has done nothing to try and get her back, link to the story above.
Given away by someone who didn’t want her anymore and lost almost immediately by an even more unsuitable owner. This makes me so very angry, these people should not have these wonderful owls as they just don’t understand or even think of the committment involved. I just hope she is caught and that no harm comes to her.
Typical UK press who chase around looking for glorified news who are as ignorant as the news readers themselves on TV, and those rich arrogant and selfish raptor killers of the grouse moors who have aready removed eagle owls.
When the seagulls follow the trawler they think they are being given sardines. ( Eric Cantona)
Verity Ward, South Shields Gazette,Stick to what you know best and leave wildlife journalism to the professionals.On Eagle Owls you are way out of your depth.
I would hope that the previous owner of this owl has disclosed the name of the irresponsible person who lost the bird and seems did very little to get it back except put a few notices up, this shows what little regard he had for the owl anyway. WE all know it is an offense to leave a captive bred bird out in the wild and I am sure that had the owner done things correctly, like notifying the IBR and local falconers he would have had plenty of help to try and get this owl back.This is a sad state of affairs and does nothing to help those who are trying to protect the ones on Bowland and elsewhere that have been in the wild for many years. I hope the owl is caught and nothing harmful happens to it, but it will be no thanks to the stupid and unthoughtful newspaper reporter who may well have condemned this owl to death with her stupid remarks.
Well, I spent about 3hrs up on Cleadon Hills with my daughter today and didn’t see a bat …or an owl ! Plenty of Magpies, Gulls, a few Robins, Blue Tits, Blackbirds…but no owl ! Never mind, we’ll be back, it’s not very likely we’ll ever see one in the area again so worth spending some time to catch a glimpse..we probably walked past her a dozen times ! Very few other people about so hope no-one got it into their heads to hurt her, we’ll be back next week to try again !
I saw this owl twice last September ,type south shields eagle owl in YouTube. I mist admit I was horrified when I seen the sensationalist report in the gazette regarding ripping joggers coats and eating stray cats,what a crock,its a nocturnal bird and no one jogs the hills late at night
The Eagle Owl did actually rip someone’s coat. At Boldon Flats, in the early evening, a friend was watching the bird when it repeatedly flew down to where he was standing – maybe associating humans with food? It did strike him and slightly ripped his jacket. OK, bit of journalistic license used and not sure where the jogger bit came in, but it happened.
The Eagle Owl has been causing concern to locals – sitting on house roofs and calling, making their dogs go a bit mad. No doubt the odd cat has been taken – an Eagle Owl won’t discriminate between cats, rabbits, rats. All just a food source. It’ll be much better for the birds welfare if it could be recaptured, even though it still seems to be surviving quite well. It’s still in the area as of a couple of days ago.