Thursday 6 February 2014

Snowy Owl - Photo from the archives


This isn't current news, but I found it fascinating! On a recent trip to a charity shop, I discovered a programme for an exhibition of Charles Tunnicliffe's paintings in 1983. Inside the programme was this photo of Tunnicliffe examining a dead Snowy Owl which had been given to him to compose one of his 'measured drawings'. The story behind this photo is a bit sketchy too! According to Birds in Wales (Lovegrove et al. 1994) a "female was found dead at Mynachdy, Anglesey in May 1972"(near Carmel Head). This is undoubtedly the impressive bird that is pictured here. However according to the programme I found, the bird was "shot and mutilated", and Tunnicliffe was extremely angry at its treatment, as it went against all his principles as a countryman and naturalist. I was completely unaware of this record, and just cant believe that such a magnificent bird could have been shot. And this was only about 40 years ago! Obviously I'm not aware of the whole story, but wouldn't it be great to see a bird like this on the island nowadays? Makes those hikes around Cemlyn and Carmel Head seem a little more tempting. Anyone know any other details about this picture or story?

5 comments:

  1. Was there not a grey phase Gyr falcon also shot on the island about this time?

    Kelvin

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  2. Cambrian Bird Report 1972.

    GYRFALCON - 31 March a female of the white Greeland race candicans was found shot but alive at Penlon by C. Rudd who passed it to R. W. Arthur and K. Williams: despite every effort to save it's life the falcon died on 3 April: the specimen (preserved by R. Reid Llanrwst) is on display at the Penrhos Nature Reserve(KW)
    Record accepted by the rarities committee of British Birds

    Snowy Owl
    Mynachdy, 3 May an adult female found shot by Master F Roberts and bought to me :the bird was preserved by R Reid of Llanrwst and is now on display at the Penrhos Nature Reserve: a freshly eaten leveret was in its crop (KW)
    Record accepted by the rarities committee of British Birds.

    Kelvin

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  3. I have the complete set of Cambrian reports up to the formation of Gwynedd Birders scanned as PDF's. If the committee of the Cambrian are happy I will make them available on receipt of a blank disc and a stamp addressed envelope, or call at the BTO Cymru office with a thumb drive.

    Kelvin

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  4. Thanks Kelvin. Makes you realise things were a bit different back in those days! I guess those shooting estates and landowners saw these birds of prey as 'vermin' and needed to be controlled. Very sad.

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  5. A 'bit' different......but not that much really! Hen harriers... Golden Eagles....

    Mymachdy is a shooting estate.

    F Roberts is now manager of Bodior Estate which has a long history of highly 'successful' Woodcock shoots with shooting 'toffs'

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