This curious owl is having a real hoot, as it perches on a delighted photographer's camera as he sets up in the Dubai desert.

Gary Burns was photographing another owl, and was setting up for the shot, when he was ambushed by the adorable creature.

And in these amazing images, it is clear that the owl is also very intrigued by Gary, tilting its head from side to side, trying to make sense of the strange spectacle.

"It honestly took me by surprise as I was busy looking at another owl that was sitting close to the 4X4.

"With owls being able to fly without making a sound, you can imagine my surprise when I turned to the camera only to be sitting eye to eye with this little owl.

"I literally went from being a bit shocked to utter disbelief at what was happening and how special the moment was," said Gary, 45 who lives in Dubai, UAE.

Once landed, the owl sat on the camera for over five minutes, and was not bothered at all by the human presence, in the Al Qudra Desert, Dubai.

The bird preened its feathers and used the vantage point to look for potential prey, before getting bored and flying off.

Gary, who is originally from South Africa, but moved to Dubai in 2019, added: "The owl in the picture is definitely the most adventurous owl I've encountered out in the desert over the years.

"It was definitely very interested in the vehicle and the camera, looking into the vehicle to see what is inside, then looking at me, it was probably trying to figure out what all this is about."

When the photographer got home he showed the images to friends on Instagram, and was delighted with their positive responses.

The image gathered more than 3,000 likes on his social media page @desertwildlifeme.

"Many friends are now calling me the 'owl whisperer' as I always seem to find owls and have experienced things people here in the UAE didn't know was at all possible," added Gary.

This curious owl is having a real hoot, as it perches on a delighted photographer's camera as he sets up in the Dubai desert.

Gary Burns was photographing another owl, and was setting up for the shot, when he was ambushed by the adorable creature.

And in these amazing images, it is clear that the owl is also very intrigued by Gary, tilting its head from side to side, trying to make sense of the strange spectacle.

"It honestly took me by surprise as I was busy looking at another owl that was sitting close to the 4X4.

"With owls being able to fly without making a sound, you can imagine my surprise when I turned to the camera only to be sitting eye to eye with this little owl.

"I literally went from being a bit shocked to utter disbelief at what was happening and how special the moment was." Said Gary, 45 who lives in Dubai, UAE.

Once landed, the owl sat on the camera for over five minutes, and was not bothered at all by the human presence, in the Al Qudra Desert, Dubai.

The bird preened its feathers and used the vantage point to look for potential prey, before getting bored and flying off.

Gary, who is originally from South Africa, but moved to Dubai in 2019, added: "The owl in the picture is definitely the most adventurous owl I've encountered out in the desert over the years.

"It was definitely very interested in the vehicle and the camera, looking into the vehicle to see what is inside, then looking at me, it was probably trying to figure out what all this is about."

When the photographer got home he showed the images to friends on Instagram, and was delighted with their positive responses.

The image gathered more than 3,000 likes on his social media page @desertwildlifeme.

"Many friends are now calling me the "Owl Whisperer ''as I always seem to find owls and have experienced things people here in the UAE didn't know was at all possible." Added Gary.