An amateur wildlife photographer couldn’t believe his luck when he woke from a snooze in front of the TV and found an OWL peering down at him.
Graham Bickers, 65, was disturbed in the early hours of the morning by a fluttering of feathers and was stunned to see the tawny owl perched on a curtain rail.
He checked all the windows and doors were shut and realised the dazed bird must have come down the chimney.
The father-of-three dimmed the room lights and turned on the ones in his back garden and guided the owl safely back outside.
Graham, a property developer of Ipswich, Suffolk, said: “I’m an avid amateur photographer of wildlife so seeing this was like winning the lottery.
“It wasn’t in a panic at all, it was very laid back.
“It was clearly falling asleep because of the central heating. I’m just really glad I got a great photo in time.
“I had to use a macro lens as it lets in a lot of light but it meant I didn’t scare the bird with a flash.”