Snowy Owl caught on camera perched in Central Park after being spotted for 2nd week

CENTRAL PARK, Manhattan (WABC) -- Eyewitness News caught Central Park's rare snowy owl on camera Thursday night, a week after it was spotted for the first time in over 100 years.

Our photographer, Mike Thorne, caught the owl perched atop the Reservoir North Pump House, which appears to be one of its favorite spots.

"This is an amazing occurrence. It's unbelievable," said David Barrett of the Manhattan Bird Alert earlier this week.

For Barrett, spotting the Snowy Owl is like getting struck by lightning twice.

You could say he's the city's premier bird nerd. It's a compliment.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger expert on our feathered friends.

"It was extraordinary that the snowy owl even arrived in Central Park in the first place," Barrett said.

He's talking about the Snowy Owl spotted last week in Central Park.

Birders were out in Central Park Thursday searching for a rare visitor, a Snowy Owl, that was spotted in the park the day before.

Before then, the last time it was seen in the park was in 1890.

But on Wednesday night around 6 p.m., it was spotted again flying east across the reservoir from the northeast pump house.

"It's as rare as can be. People have never seen them in Central Park in their lifetimes," Barrett said. "It looks like the same owl. It has a lot of barring on it, so it's indicative of perhaps a young female snowy owl."

Snowy owls come from the Arctic and migrate south in the winter and usually head to the shoreline.

A rare Snowy Owl was spotted again in Central Park, one week after it was spotted for the first time in over 100 years.

It is a gorgeous bird and seeing it in Central Park for bird watchers is like winning the lottery.

So why would it come here?

Well -- outdoor dining of course. The park offers a full menu.

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"It could go for rodents tonight. It could stay here and try to hunt for water fowl. It has choices," Barrett said. "They eat quite a variety of things. Whatever they can catch. They certainly can catch ducks."

So, Barrett on Wednesday night was trying to capture images of it hunting in the park.

Images never seen before. Images just as rare as a snowy owl spotting in the park.

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