A bird of prey has been pictured enjoying a sunny Saturday afternoon while sailing along the river with some unsuspecting canoers.

While Kestrels aren't rare in the UK, sharing a boat trip with one is pretty unusual.

Liam Calvert spotted a bird struggling in the River Wensum while paddling along with his partner on Saturday afternoon.

The bird was quite happy to enjoy a trip down the riverThe bird was quite happy to enjoy a trip down the river (Image: Liam Calvert) Using their paddles they managed to scoop the bird up before they knew what they had rescued from the river.

He said: "We were amazed to see that it was a bird of prey, later realising it was a Kestrel.

"Once it was on board it seemed pretty content to perch on the wheel of the canoe trolley, where it sunned itself as we pootled along.

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"It was pretty remarkable to be sharing our journey with a Kestrel.

The Kestrel even dozed off for a bit in the sunshineThe Kestrel even dozed off for a bit in the sunshine (Image: Liam Calvert) "It seemed to enjoy the late afternoon sun and had a nap as we passed through the city centre.

"The whole thing was quite magical."

It is just as well that they managed to rescue the bird, as Kestrels aren't known to swim - despite canals and rivers being a popular place for the bird to hunt prey.