Owl rescued by fishing crew 100 miles out to sea
- Published
The bird was rescued by a crew member who spotted it being attacked by seagulls.
It suffered minor injuries but the owl got to know its new crewmates and was cared for by the team on board the fishing boat Benarkle II for the rest of their trip.
It is believed the owl had been blown off its normal course before landing on the boat. The Benarkle II crew said the poorly creature perked up a great deal after being "beefed up" with some chopped steak.
After returning to harbour, the owl was handed over to the Huntly Falconry Centre who said it was very unusual for it to have been so far from land. John Barrie, who owns the centre, said: "The owl is just tired after the journey. It'll be here for a week or two then released back into the wild."
Mr Barrie said the bird was over 100 miles out from the coast. He added: "It wasn't in its own environment, it must've just got blown off course."
Long-eared owls are known for their distinct white eyebrows and striking bright orange eyes. Despite being called the long-eared owl, the tufts on its head aren't actually ears at all!