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Small barn owl rescued from one big adventure

Watch: Lifeboat collects owl rescued by Army crew

Now here's something you wouldn't expect to see out at sea.

Barn owls are usually found in farmland, grasslands or open countryside. But this one ended up about 70 miles away from land.

Luckily, a group of British Army soldiers spotted the exhausted bird while taking part in a sailing race.

The owl tried several times to land on their boat, falling into the sea along the way. Eventually, it landed on the deck and the soldiers brought the bird aboard, naming it Little Reg.

Thanks to a rescue mission by the Caister Independent Lifeboat, Little Reg is now recovering from his adventure at the RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre.

A tan and white barn owl attempting to land on a man's arm while on a boat out at sea.British Soldier Crew

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The British Soldier boat at sea can be seen from behind. The crew are sitting aboard. One is holding a tall white box which he reaches over the railings with. He is handing it over to a man in a yellow jacket on an orange lifeboat.Shaun Whitmore/BBC

Little Reg spent 24 hours on the boat with the crew who did their best to keep him safe and warm until he was handed over.

Mark Petherbridge, a member of the Army crew that saved Little Reg, said:

'We saw it behind the boat; it came alongside and was clearly tired.

"It flew alongside and was trying to find a place to land and get on board. He fell in the water a couple of times and eventually collapsed on deck, so we picked him up and put him in a box."

A woman holding an owl in her hands. She is wearing a navy polo shirt with an RSPCA logo on it and has her hands - which are wearing blue gloves - around the body of the barn owl which is looking directly at her.RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre

A conservation officer at the Barn Owl Trust thinks Little Reg was roosting on a fishing vessel before being taken out to sea.

Little Reg is now being looked after at RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre. Staff there say the owl, who is actually female, has already "gulped down a mouse".

It's hoped Little Reg will make a full recovery and be released back into the wild.