ospreys of Jordan Lake

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By Jordan Lake Ospreys: Shelter Osprey Nest 04-06-2019
Shelter Osprey Nest
 
In most raptors, the female bird is larger than the male.
This is easy to see in the ospreys and bald eagles at Jordan Lake.
You can certainly see the size difference in the parents of the Shelter Nest.
 Osprey Mom, heading to the left, is much bigger than Osprey Dad who is looking to the right.
Sometimes this size difference makes the female ospreys and bald eagles 25 – 30% bigger than the males.
This trait is known as gender dimorphism.
_ARK8902 Ebenezer 06-04-19 10-57-08 2 osprey dimorphic

By Jordan Lake Ospreys: Shelter Nest, 4 photos, 04-05-2019
The Shelter Ospreys are Busy!
 
We humans often have to stop construction on our homes when it rains.
 
Osprey Dad isn’t letting a shower slow him down as he brings nest lining home.
 
 
On the other hand, um talon, maybe he is a little put out with the rain.
 
 
Oh, well, he has settled in, waiting for Osprey Mom to arrive.
 

By Jordan Lake Dam: Chase 4 photos, 03-19-2019
Uh, oh, ever have one of those days when no matter which way you turned, it was the wrong way?
The osprey was trying hard to keep the year-old bald eagle from stealing it’s fish.
 
 
The osprey noticed the incoming, much more dangerous, problem before the immature eagle did.
 
 
Then the immature bald eagle realized there was another challenger for the osprey’s fish.
 
 
The adult bald eagle came in on a steep dive.  The osprey dropped its fish.  The younger eagle made a try for the falling fish.
The adult bald eagle stalled out of its dive, hovered and missed the falling fish too.  Oh, my.