A snowy owl, which normally lives only in the coldest parts of the world, has arrived in a Cornish village – along with hundreds of birdwatchers.

The beautiful white bird, usually found in China, Canada, Russia and Alaska, was spotted at Zennor, near St Ives. They have only ever been seen before in Britain in the Scottish mountains or islands.

The female owl is thought to have hatched somewhere in the Arctic Circle before flying across the Atlantic. Experts believe that despite being blown off course, the bird should feel at home with temperatures falling to below freezing.

One birdwatcher, Jon Evans, said: “I have seen snowy owls in zoos but nothing prepared me for what truly wonderful birds they are when you see them in the wild. I had driven down through the night from Suffolk. I took a lot of shots of it sitting there with its big yellow eyes. But only when it took off with those broad, white wings did I appreciate that the snowy owl is a truly majestic bird.”

Times Archive, 1947: Big Ben's chimes frozen

Midnight listeners noted sympathetically a lapse on the part of Big Ben under the influence of the frost. Only a few fragmentary notes of the well-known chimes were sounded and then the clock struck once. After that there was silence

• More snow today, 1963

• The great storm, 1891

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The last time a snowy owl was seen in the UK was near Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms. There have been other sightings in the remote islands of Shetland, and the Outer Hebrides.

Snowy owls grow to between 53 and 65cm (2026in) long and have a wing-span of 125-150cm (5060in).

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