Storks have been seen on a golf course in southern England, probably preparing to cross the Channel.
The birds were photographed at Hollingbury Golf Course in Sussex after being released from a nearby rewilding estate a few days earlier as part of a project to introduce them to the south coast.
According to The Argusthe aim of the White Stork Project is to have 50 breeding pairs on the south coast by 2030 – and 37 birds have so far been released.
Rose Jones, who took several stunning pictures of the birds on the golf course and uploaded them to Facebook, said: “It has been a really positive experience. I followed them and watched in amazement.
“Watching the golfers trying to hit the balls away from the storks was quite funny.
“We were raised on storks – these are the stories we were given, so to see this large number just walking calmly around, we can only hope that when they come back maybe we will get some in other places.”
Image by Rose Jones on Facebook
The project to reintroduce storks to the south coast has been one that has been ongoing for some time.
The White Stork Project began in 2016 and has been looking to introduce more and more storks each year.
The birds migrate and return to Sussex. So far, they have been spotted as far north as Aberdeen and as far south as Morocco.
Image by Rose Jones on Facebook
This year, some of the birds have been fitted with GPS tracking, and members of the public are being urged to keep an eye out for them and to report where they are spotted.
A spokesperson for the White Stork Project said: “There has been quite a buzz on social media.
“What we think they are doing is preparing to cross the Channel. Hopefully as they get older they will learn to go south and then come back.
Image by Rose Jones on Facebook
“If people see one let us know. We’re trying to find out where these birds are ending up.”
Wild Stork Project said it has tracked two separate groups of birds, one which headed west to Cornwall and the other which were seen in Kent.