The short-eared owl was battling to reach the Scottish coast
And it is in the vanguard of an invasion which could see hundreds flocking here from Scandinavia.
The short-eared owl battling towards Scotland was one of four spotted at dawn by birdwatcher Andy Williams flying low over the North Sea halfway between Norway and Aberdeen.
Andy, who is working on a survey vessel in the North Sea in the Forties area, said on his pelagicbirder blog: "A couple of days ago I was treated to four short-eared owls flying over the sea and heading WSW. Quite a weird sight seeing these lovely birds on passage over the waves.
"I saw them all in the first hour of daylight so my photos are not the best but they will have to do.
"I saw two single birds then two together and it was interesting to see them occasionally harried and mobbed by the herring and great black backed gulls - as if the owls did not have enough to contend with!
"Although their buoyant flight was relatively strong one bird almost ditched as it banked sharply to avoid an aerial assault from a herring gull. Hopefully they all made it ashore."
Comment: You can check out more images from Buffalo here: Buffalo buried by wall of snow