A BIRD of prey feared dead after going missing 11 days ago has been found three miles away from its Malvern home.

Owner Nick Ross feared for the life of his Harris hawk Jess after she broke away from her line, still attached to her jesses and metal swivel.

But hundreds of sightings later, Mr Ross finally received the call he had longed for from a couple in Callow End.

"The only thing I really wanted was someone to call saying my bird was in front of them right now," he said.

"Then a lady rang and said she had been looking at it only minutes earlier."

Mr Ross said three-year-old Jess had managing to wind the equipment higher round her leg, which ultimately saved her life.

"We couldn't believe it and she even came back five ounces heavier!" he said.

"We offered a reward to the lady but she wouldn't take it."

The ecstatic owner from Atyeo Close said the nightmare proved to be a blessing when he received a sighting at Blackmore Caravan Park in Hanley Swan.

"It was actually a buzzard with a damaged wing which we managed to rescue," he said.

"I was really excited because we had done something in light of Jess going missing.