A snowy owl sits in its enclosure at the "ZOOM" Zoo on August 23, 2011 in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany. The bird, one of the largest owl species, is also known as arctic owl, great white owl or harfang. (PATRIK STOLLARZ/AFP/Getty Images)

DALLAS (AP) – What’s believed to be a rare snowy owl has turned up at a Dallas-area lake and the buzz about the bird has been drawing crowds.

The owl was spotted earlier this month in Robertson Park at Lake Ray Hubbard. Forums on birding websites have been busy with reports of sightings and observer snapshots of the creature.

Photographer Geryl Mortensen, who stopped by the park last weekend, says it’s phenomenal to see a snowy owl in an urban setting.

Jim Peterson is a former curator of birds at what is now the Dallas Museum of Nature & Science. Peterson says materials are being put together to confirm what could be only the sixth snowy owl documented sighting in Texas.

The Texas Ornithological Society oversees the Texas Bird Records Committee.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)