Twitchers flock to see rare owl without the wit to woo a mate

THRUPP - They move under cover of darkness, shadowy figures laden with high-tech gear who stealthily pace along paths while exchanging map references.

Residents of the rose-covered cottages of Thrupp in Oxfordshire may have thought they had a unit of special forces on nocturnal manoeuvres.

But the reality was an altogether more comprehensive invasion by an army of twitchers.

For the last 10 days, the night-time peace of the tiny community, 12km northwest of Swindon, has been shattered by a massive influx of birdwatchers hoping to a catch a glimpse of a rare visitor to Britain.

A scops owl, which is barely the size of a starling and has not been seen in Oxfordshire since 1858, took up residence in the village in April.

Its high-pitched call, which is repeated every few seconds from dusk until dawn, was at first mistaken for a faulty alarm in a village building.

An engineer called out to fix the fault was baffled until an ornithologist pointed out the actual origin.

But any disturbance created by the bird has been overtaken by the arrival of up to 500 bird watchers after news spread. The influx has at times tripled Thrupp's peaceable population.

Villagers have complained of disruption caused by dozens of cars parked on crowded streets and the late-night chatter of twitchers.

Shane Bushell, landlord of The Boat Inn, said: "There has been a constant stream of birdwatchers since last weekend. They start arriving at about 5pm and stay until after midnight.

"We have known about the owl in the village for weeks but obviously word has only just got out.

"In my opinion they are a strange bunch. Some of the neighbours have complained about the disruption because of parking and noise. But at the same time, it has had a beneficial effect on business."

The quarry of the twitchers, birding enthusiasts who travel hundreds of kilometres to catch a glimpse of a rare bird, is an "overshoot" - a specimen which has flown beyond its normal summer breeding area.

The scops owl, which has an intricately patterned grey and brown plumage and lives on moths and flying beetles, is a common summer resident of Mediterranean countries, normally venturing no further than central France from its northern winter breeding grounds in north Africa.

Ian Lewington, the official bird recorder for Oxfordshire and a member of the Oxford Ornithological Society, said the latest visitor was emitting its monotone nightly hoot out of frustration at not having a mate.

"What we have is an overshoot - the bird was flying north and just didn't stop where it should have.

"It is trying to find a mate so it is continuing to call every night. This poor thing isn't going to have much luck in Oxfordshire though."

For villagers, there is little sign of imminent relief from their nocturnal disruptions.

One twitching website, which supplied map references for the owl's location, proclaimed: "Calling again in horse chestnuts west of canal bridge. Please park away from the village."

- INDEPENDENT