A BARN owl which had been missing for two weeks after being blown off course has been reunited with its delighted owner.

Edward and Marian Drzymalski discovered the owl lying in a field adjoining their bed and breakfast and holiday cottages in Llangrove, between Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth.

They could see it had a ring around its leg. Barely alive, they wrapped it up in a towel and called Mike Hill at Hilltop Birds of Prey Experience at nearby Llangarron.

Although Mike knew all of his own birds were present he gladly agreed to help.

He said: "The poor owl was in a very distressed state and very hungry. So the first thing that we did was to feed him and let him rest before taking the details off the leg ring and contacting the equally distressed owner.

“It seems that the barn owl had been missing for two weeks from its private breeders, 12 miles away in Coleford.

"He’d been blown off course by heavy winds during a flying training session and lost her bearings so flew for days until she became too tired and hungry to go any further.”

“The owner was absolutely delighted to hear the amazing news and the two were soon reunited.”

The Hilltop Birds of Prey Experience at Llangarron near Ross-on-Wye is open to the public by prior booking only. Full details on their website at www.hilltopbop.com