A PAIR of barn owls have been delighting a couple in a west Dorset village.

Eric and Sue Smiley, who live in Ryall, are thrilled with their neighbours - a pair of owls that nest in the barn next door.

The couple have seen barn owls from their kitchen window for years and said that the owners of the barn have had owls nesting there for more than two decades.

Mr Smiley, who owns horses, sees the owls while they hunt in the mornings and evenings.

He said: "It is such a treat to see the owls. They are totally silent when they fly so you never hear them, but when you see them they are truly beautiful.

"They hunt at dusk and dawn so when I go out to feed the horses in the morning I get to see the owls flit from post to post and fly low to the ground while they hunt.

"We never see them both at the same time as one goes out to hunt and the other stays in the nest so it is nice seeing which one is out."

One of the owls has dark feathers and the other has light feathers. Typically, female barn owls are darker than males so Mr Smiley thinks they are a couple.

He said: "We are very lucky that we live in such a secluded area so we get to see fantastic wildlife.

"It really makes my day when I see one of the owls. It is such a privilege."