IT was one shot in a million. Wildlife photographer Dennis Bright has been capturing the splendour of birds from all corners of the world for 20 years but even he couldn't believe his luck when the elusive osprey appeared.

A career built on sitting, waiting and wishing for the perfect picture has led to Dennis capturing the magnificent flying creature with some extremely rare up-close pictures.

"I have never been in the right place at the right time," said Dennis, from Colden Common.

"But I would say this shot is one in a million."

Sometimes he has missed the osprey because he has been away at another photo shoot location, but all that changed at Easter when Dennis captured on film this superb image of this spectacular fish-eating bird of prey.

Only an estimated 160 pairs of ospreys are thought to breed in the UK and this one was taking a break on the central River Test, in the Stockbridge area, before continuing its spring passage to probably the Scottish breeding grounds.

Sheer perseverance coupled with field craft skills led to Dennis snapping this ornithological exclusive. And he is delighted with the result.

He first spotted the osprey when he was parked on the riverbank and it flew over his car.

Dennis said: "It dived into the river and took fish out torpedo-style and then disappeared with the fish."

He thought he had missed a chance to photograph the osprey, but he continued his search and that evening spotted the bird again.

Dennis said: "It took another fish but it was too distant even for my long lens. It is a very nervous bird and I got within 150 metres but it flew off."

The intrepid photographer returned the following day to discover the osprey again, only for it to disappear for an early fish supper.

Then Dennis decided to park his car and build a hide on the riverbank opposite the tree where the osprey had made its temporary home.

Within a short time the bird was back, making a tasty meal out of a brown trout, but dinner time was disturbed by the arrival of a buzzard.

Creating a hideaway in a tree on the opposite side of the river, on day three Dennis was able to complete his photographic session by capturing these stunning shots.

"I must have been a minimum of 50ft away," he said.

"With spring being late this year there's little leaf cover so the osprey can be seen to land anywhere.

"It'll be very rare to ever catch a sighting like that again."

Gravel pit transformed into a beauty spot. Read the story of Testwood Lakes on pages 8&9 of tonight's Daily echo.