VIDEO: Eagle-eyed Steve spots rare owl

From the The Bolton News, first published Wednesday 28th Feb 2007.

IT HAS been at large in Bolton since the beginning of the year, but has managed to evade the lenses of its admirers.

But a keen - and patient - ornithologist has managed to capture video pictures of the European eagle owl.

A still picture from the video is shown on the right and you can watch the video HERE.

The owl, a rare bird of prey, has been seen in Heaton on a number of occasions.

Residents have reported seeing the bird in Fifth Avenue, Devonshire Road and the Albert Road areas.

The video was filmed by a former member of World Owl Trust, Steve Ashworth, aged 54 who said: "I have spent 100 hours looking for the bird. I finally spotted it last Saturday near Overdale and started taking pictures when it disappeared into a garden.

"A resident ran out to tell me it had caught and dropped a squirrel in her garden.

"It turned out to be a rat which I placed on the road in a quiet cul-de-sac on New Hall Lane, Heaton, making sure the owl saw me," said Mr Ashworth, who lives in Kearsley.

He saw the female bird, which is around 20 inches tall, with a wing span of 5ft and weighing around 13 lbs, swoop down and take the rat.

He added: "It was unbelievable and fantastic to watch." Mr Ashworth believes the owl has escaped from captivity, but he fears the bird will become stressed if returned to a sanctuary.

"The bird has definitely been around humans. It swooped over my head three times and followed me back to my car.

"It is a fantastic bird and is quite happy where it is and is surviving. Birds like this are more used to pine forests, but this owl has made its home here.

"The bird is capable of taking a fox or small deer."

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