A shocked woman found a huge bird of prey chilling in her back garden.
Caroline Phipp discovered the sharp-clawed creature calmly perched on a planter.
She had no idea where it came from and at first thought it might be an eagle.
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But other locals said it was more likely to be a Harris’s hawk, formerly also known as a bay-winged or dusky hawk.
The bird also had a leash and bell indicating it was an escapee, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Caroline said: “I have either a hawk or an eagle in my garden
“It’s not every day you get one of these in your garden
“I really need some advice.
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“It has a leash and bell attached to it.
“What am I supposed to do about this before it gets dark?
“It clearly belongs to someone?
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“Help and advice needed.”
After the appeal, the owner was found and went to collect it in Broadstairs, Kent, yesterday (11 Aug).
Caroline added: “Someone found the owner and they’re coming to collect it.
“The bird had a tag on him but we didn’t get close enough to see it.”
But despite that the bird was still in her garden today (12 Aug).
Caroline added: “The bird is still in the garden, it’s moved into a tree.
“The owner is coming back today.
“The bird went to him, but it freaked out.”
Harris’s hawks are native to North and South America but are popular in falconry for their intelligence and trainability.
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