Jordan Lake. While cruising with Captain Doug, from far off we could see a huge fish under the talons of an osprey fledgling. She was quite proud of the fish. Captain Doug got us around to where we could see the Osprey’s front. The fish’s head is missing. Most likely one of the parents caught the fish, removed the head and then gave the carcass to her daughter.
Jordan Lake. The fishing strike of an osprey is so swift that the exquisite maneuvering is difficult to see … I am happy I can share this moment by moment experience with you.
Jordan Lake. Hooray! The Hard Luck Osprey couple managed to raise a chick this year. Last year they didn’t raise any babies at all because of their hard luck with marauding bald eagles and a fallen nest tree. This morning I got to watch their new fledgling trying to learn how to fish.
Jordan Lake. Doc Ellen‘s Natural Minute. This morning I watched an Osprey plummet, I do mean literally twist and dive from the sky to the surface of the Haw River to catch a fish. I almost wasn’t fast enough to catch the osprey catching the fish! Have a very blessed day. Take care, be safe.
Jordan Lake. Hard Luck osprey nest. Sometimes ospreys get their entire front – from beak to their feet pretty cruddy with the leftovers of fish. The best way the ospreys have found to scrub is to skip themselves – like a stone that you might skip across a pond. The motion of skipping and rubbing against the water acts like a very stiff brush and helps loosen up the debris. I get to see this action every couple of years at the lake. I see it more in the summer and I have to wonder if the heat and humidity in the air makes the fish leftovers stick tighter. This is the longest sequence I’ve ever been able to photograph and I am very happy to be sharing it with you. Enjoy!
Jordan Lake. Hard Luck Osprey Nest. You may remember that last year the parents at this nest lost their offspring to a bald eagle and then they lost the tree and their nest in a storm. This year the parents, at a new tree and nest, have a chick that’s gotten to the stage of wing wapping and it’s thinking hard about flying in a few weeks!
doc ellen's journey 