Today turned out to be a good day. Going for a walk on my lunchbreak, I found that a sanctuary for birds of prey was holding an event in the Merrion shopping centre. Amongst the birds – which included kestrels and falcons – was the striking owl in these photos.

It was a wonderful experience holding such an elegant creature. The owl is three years old and she has been raised in captivity. She looked completely relaxed surrounded by people but at the same time was clearly taking everything in. There was no mistaking the intelligence in those beautiful eyes.

Damian Mark Whittle