AS temperatures continue to soar in Yorkshire, a video of an owl cooling off in a garden pond has captured the nation’s attention.

The video, filmed by surveillance cameras, features a tawny owl bathing in brilliant sunshine - behaviour that was described as "unprecedented" for a nocturnal bird.

The owl was first spotted hopping into the pond by visitors to an exhibition at wildlife artist Robert E Fuller's gallery in Thixendale, near York, on Friday.

Mr Fuller, who shares live cameras relaying images from 40 wildlife cameras in his garden with visitors to his art exhibition, described the owl as splashing water onto itself with its wings and drinking great gulps of water from the pond.

The video has since gone viral on the internet - and the cameras have since captured two owls bathing in the same "hoot tub" late at night.

“I have used surveillance cameras to watch wild animals for my paintings for a number of years now and have a lifetime’s experience of watching owls in the wild but this is the most extraordinary behaviour I have observed from an owl - in fact I think it is unprecedented," said Mr Fuller.

“These birds are nocturnal and rarely come out to bathe like this in daylight. But what is particularly unusual is to see a tawny owl drinking. Most birds of prey get their moisture from their food. This bird is really gulping down the water.”