A yellow-feathered canary is back resting with her family after an incredible journey that took her from her Hertfordshire home to a garden centre.

Lorisa, 35 and Jake Evans, 34, were distraught when they discovered that six month-old Koochie had escaped from a small gap in the window of their north Harpenden flat on a Sunday evening last month.

After a number of desperate attempts to find her, including playing recordings of canary calls out of the window, the couple gave up and decided on Tuesday that they would have to buy a new play mate for lonely Hoochie who was left behind.

But meanwhile courageous Koochie had made her way to a mystery garden in Harpenden where she was spotted by a woman who watched the content bird splash around in the bird bath before flying into her greenhouse, escaping her cats. The next morning the unknown woman took her to Notcutts Nursery, Hatfield Road, St Albans, coincidently where Koochie was purchased from, for them to look after.

The next day Jake arrived to buy the new canary but was amazed to see Koochie, who was due to be passed on to a bird sanctuary that afternoon.

Jake, who owns eight other finches and budgies, said: "There were so many random factors which could have meant us never seeing Koochie again, but instead it was almost as if Koochie was meant to have her little adventure and then be safely returned to us after exploring the big wide world.

"We're overjoyed as well because I think the odds of what has happened actually happening must be a million to one, at least.

"We're really thankful to the lady who looked after her, and to Notcutts as well."

Koochie was clearly in celebratory mood when she returned as she has just laid an egg which she is carefully incubating with her mate Hoochie.