IF you were in Kingsbridge early this afternoon, you may have spotted Russ Burt and his owls.

Russ, who runs Plympton owls, was in Kingsbridge on Friday afternoon, wearing a very fetching owl hat, with three of his birds.

Whisper, a five-year-old African Barn Own, Scoppy, a seven-year-old White-Faced Scop Owl and Kermit, who is a three-year-old Tawny Frogmouth Owl, but who technically isn’t an owl at all, but part of the Kookaburra family and native to Australia.

Russ can often be seen around the South Hams with his owls, earning him the friendly nickname ’Owl Man’, and he often takes his birds to local events and care homes to entertain visitors and residents.

Perched on a bench on the Quay in Kingsbridge, Russ was bombarded by people coming over to say hi to him and the owls, ask him questions and generally comment on how beautiful they are - always a welcome sight in Kingsbridge.