George McGavin on the Snowy Owl episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 17, 2025 · 1 MIN

George McGavin on the Snowy Owl

from Tweet of the Day · host BBC Radio 4

Entomologist and wildlife presenter George McGavin describes a magical encounter with a snowy owl. The sighting happened while George was on a university field recording trip fifty years ago, on the island of Unst in Shetland. Snowy owls primarily live in the polar Arctic regions, and while a small number have previously bred in Shetland, they remain rare visitors, so to spot one in the British Isles is incredibly lucky. Presented by George McGavin and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in BristolFeaturing a recording from Xeno-Canto by Patrik Åberg: Snowy owl - XC277682

Entomologist and wildlife presenter George McGavin describes a magical encounter with a snowy owl. The sighting happened while George was on a university field recording trip fifty years ago, on the island of Unst in Shetland. Snowy owls primarily live in the polar Arctic regions, and while a small number have previously bred in Shetland, they remain rare visitors, so to spot one in the British Isles is incredibly lucky. Presented by George McGavin and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in BristolFeaturing a recording from Xeno-Canto by Patrik Åberg: Snowy owl - XC277682

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George McGavin on the Snowy Owl

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Entomologist and wildlife presenter George McGavin describes a magical encounter with a snowy owl. The sighting happened while George was on a university field recording trip fifty years ago, on the island of Unst in Shetland. Snowy owls primarily...

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