This time it was an adult eagle that pursued the immature osprey.
The osprey made several swoops, dives and tight turns, but ended up dropping the fish.
It flashed past the eagle who chased it all the way to the lake’s surface.
The eagle never caught up to the fish.
Neither bird got to have a meal.
The catfish can be seen just below the bow of the eagle’s right wing.
I had been intently watching an immature osprey attempting to fish, toward the middle of the lake.
Something pulled my eye toward the far shore to my left.
I watched as an animal, I thought a large dog, jumped into the lake. Not an unusual sight.
Looking back at the osprey, something at the back of my mind urged me to check on the dog.
It wasn’t a dog at all, but was a large doe, calmly swimming toward me!
She crossed the large cove, got to my side, jumped up on the bank and disappeared.
I just never know what mother nature will send my way! There is a very, very short video below the photo. Enjoy!
In the very early morning light and rising fog, the great blue heron danced.
Ever have a day when everything just tilts the wrong way?
This immature osprey had been chased by an eagle that wanted its fish.
The osprey dropped the fish in mid air but the eagle couldn’t retrieve it.
The osprey fledgling went out and caught another fish.
Its sibling chased it, trying to snatch the catch and again the fish was lost in the air.
The despondent osprey fledgling flew in and landed in the tree almost directly above me.
As he looked down at me he seemed to be saying “did you ever have a day…”
Mirrored against the still waters of the marsh stalked a subtly yet startling marked tricolored heron.
I had seen a few of these medium sized herons on other trips to Mattamuskeet Refuge
but they had all taken flight before I could take their measure with my camera.
This juvenile bird seemed oblivious to his surroundings and was very heron-like, fixed on the hunt.
doc ellen's journey 