A FRIENDLY magpie has been bringing joy to a Stroud landlady at a difficult time.

Early yesterday morning, Claudia Kahler completed decorating the cellar at her pub, the Fountain Inn on Slad Road.

She came out into the light to watch the sunrise and listen to the birds, when she met a new feathery friend.

"It was around 5.30am in the morning," she said.

"I had just finished up painting the cellar and thought I'd watch the sun come up and listen to the dawn chorus, when I accosted by a visitor.

"A magpie flew over to me and sat on my head.

"He was very sociable and stayed with me for several hours.

"It was too cute."

"He seemed hungry so I went into the kitchen, with him on my shoulder, to find some food.

"He's obviously still quite young and appears to have been hand reared, unless he's just spectacularly cheeky and bold."

WATCH: Claudia and the magpie:

The tame black and white bird was happy to sit on Claudia's head and shoulders.

Claudia was feeling quite low at the time, as two days earlier it had been the anniversary of the death of her partner.

"It was the third anniversary of my partner Jim's passing on June 2, and I was feeling quite alone," she said.

"But all of a sudden to have this little bird there, it really made me smile."

The magpie visited again this morning and stayed for an hour.

Claudia grew up in South Africa, where she once hand reared an injured baby bird.

"It was a bulbul. He was tiny and very sick when I found him. He grew up healthy and went wild eventually, which was what I wanted.

"But my neighbour, who still lives there, says he still comes back with his family to visit."

Claudia said she now plans to research the best thing to feed to her new friend.

Claudia is currently renovating the interior of the Fountain, ahead of reopening on July 4.