‘Ghostly’ creature — not seen since WWII — spotted swooping over London, photos show
As night began to fall across the London skyline, a white creature flew through a park. Surprised by the “ghostly figure,” a park visitor snapped a photo — and recorded the first local sighting of the animal in decades.
Reuben Braddock commonly visits Hampstead Heath, a large park in central London, “but today something was different,” the United Kingdom resident wrote on Twitter on June 13.
Braddock had heard reports of a rare bird sighting at the park, he told McClatchy News on June 23. He and another local birdwatcher Pete Mantle decided to check it out.
Just before dusk, Braddock spotted a white, winged creature soaring over the grassy park. Photos show the graceful bird mid-flight. He identified the animal as a barn owl — the first one seen in Hampstead Heath since World War II, he wrote.
Mantle was also amazed by the rare sighting, he told the Camden New Journal. Watching from the slope, he saw the barn owl gliding through the park.
“It is an important sighting,” Mantle told the outlet, adding that this is the first such sighting in over 75 years.
Heath Hands, a volunteer wildlife organization focused on Hampstead Heath, echoed the birdwatchers’ excitement.
“A ghostly figure has got us all a-flutter,” the organization wrote in an Instagram post.
Barn owls are an “iconic bird” in the U.K., but the species has become increasingly rare around London’s urban areas, according to the London Wildlife Trust. Most barn owls in London stay along the city’s “more rural fringes.”
Several factors contributed to the local decline of the “much-loved” bird, Camden New Journal reported.
Suitable habitats for the barn owl have “disappeared” around London while potentially fatal human-owl interactions, like traffic or trains, have increased, Mantle told the outlet.
Braddock believes there’s “only one bird so far, likely roosting in trees,” he wrote on Twitter.
The barn owl was first spotted by Matt Evans and Gavin Rosenthal. Another group of birdwatchers spotted the owl on June 14, but the animal likely moved on after and hasn’t been seen since, Braddock told McClatchy News.
Mantle hopes that Hampstead Heath will attract more owls, he told Camden New Journal. “In this part of the Heath, you can almost forget you are in London. It feels perfect for owls.”
Heath Hands did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment.
UPDATE: The timeline of sightings was updated and clarified after speaking with Braddock, and a misspelled name was corrected on June 23. The updated story appears above.
This story was originally published June 23, 2023 at 2:20 PM with the headline "‘Ghostly’ creature — not seen since WWII — spotted swooping over London, photos show."
