Daily Echo Camera Club member Jordan Callaghan a majestic osprey cruising right above his head at Lepe beach.
The baby female bird of prey was ringed in Scotland at some point this summer and Jordan posted on social media to explain his shock at seeing the once-persecuted osprey.
Jordan said: “Not everyday you get an osprey flying right above your head and so close.”
The species became extinct in England in 1847 after egg collectors caused the population “to crash”, according to Forestry England.
Dubbed the “sea hawk” by the forest body for its pescetarian preferences, ospreys re-colonised in Scotland in the 1950s and have seen moved southwards.
The osprey is nicknamed the “sea hawk”.(Image: Jordan Callaghan)
The birds can often live for between 20 and 25 years, with wingspans as long as 1.6 metres for females.
According to Hampshire Wildlife Trust, ospreys migrate to West Africa during winter.
The wildlife trust’s website said: “Satellite tracking has shown them flying up to 430 km in just one day.
“It takes them about 20 flying days to complete the journey, but, in autumn, birds stop off to refuel at lakes and reservoirs.”