Snowy owl spotted in Cairngorms A rare sighting of a snowy owl
has been made in the Cairngorms. The birds of prey are native to
Arctic regions, including parts of Norway and North America. The
snowy owl in the Cairngorms was seen on 17 February and reported
on the nature website iSpot earlier on Tuesday. RSPB Scotland
said that to see snowy owls in Scotland was rare. The last pair
of snowy owls to breed in the UK was on Shetland in 1975. A
spokesman said: "I believe that over the years snowy owls have
been seen occasionally in the Cairngorms during the summer
months. "It is unusual to see one high up on the plateau during
winter as there would be relatively little food for them -
particularly up around Ben Macdui." He added: "Spotting a white
bird like a snowy owl in such a extensive snowy landscape would
be a quite a challenge." Alan Anderson, head of reserves at the
Scottish Wildlife Trust, said at least one snowy owl a year was
recorded in Scotland.'Quite dramatic' He said: "They can turn up
anywhere in th