Photographer captures owl dancing

It took months of fruitless pre-dawn starts to photograph these elusive owls - and the lovebirds appear to be enjoying an early morning dance.

Jermaine Reid, 38, succeeded thanks to a tip-off from a friend. The night shift aviation worker at DHL said: "I found a few locations where I went to see owls. I'd go out early at silly o'clock - between 2 and 3 am.

"I wasn't seeing any, even when travelling to the Peak District. But with this location close to Barrow upon Soar, it was a case of the right place at the right time, he said.

"I heard about it through a friend of a friend who walks her dogs there and has seen owls.

"On this occasion I had gone out in the morning by myself and arrived with the normal anticipation of seeing nothing. I waited there for probably 35 minutes, the sun was rising and I began to think it wouldn't amount to anything.

"My camera was set up, I looked into a field and when I turned around the owls were sitting in the doorway of a disused building. I think they're a mating pair because I've heard they keep the same partner for life."