Awe-inspiring "fish eagles" have been spotted scouring the edge of a Sussex river on the hunt for a filling meal.

Ospreys which make their home in the UK in summer are preparing to migrate thousands of miles to West Africa for the winter.

But before they do, a pair seen at the River Adur in Shoreham have been catching large fish like sea trout to fill up on before their great journey.

An osprey hunting at the River Adur. Lancing College is in the backgroundAn osprey hunting at the River Adur. Lancing College is in the background (Image: Jo Whiting/The Argus Camera Club) Birders and Argus Camera Club snappers alike, including Jo Whiting, have been taking photographs of the birds which are using the river between the toll bridge and railway bridge as a pit stop.

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Ospreys spend the summer in Scotland, Cumbria, Wales and the East Midlands but stop off at large bodies of water in southern England on their way to countries like Senegal and the Gambia.

The birds, sometimes known as fish eagles, dive towards lakes and lochs, stretch out their talons and scoop their prey out of the water with ease.

Ospreys are refuelling at the River Adur on their way to AfricaOspreys are refuelling at the River Adur on their way to Africa (Image: Jo Whiting/The Argus Camera Club)

As well as being spotted in Shoreham, a pair of ospreys have been seen at the Weir Wood Reservoir local nature reserve in the Ashdown Forest, perching on large trees before going to hunt on the water.

The Sussex Wildlife Trust said satellite tracking has shown the birds flying up to 430km in just one day. It takes them about 20 days of flying to complete the journey.