immature osprey

Tag

By almost too close

I had leaned way back in my chair to try to photograph a tiny brown-headed nuthatch.
Don’t you know, into my viewfinder came this male fledgling osprey.
He was so close that I didn’t get all of his wings.
The smudge to the right of the bird is the tree that I was leaning around.
The youngster bounced to a landing, balanced for a moment and then left to look for fish.

walk7119-10-05-16-09-25-36-ebenezer-osprey-juvie-landing

By …and the take-off

Thought y’all might enjoy the other end of the fledgling osprey’s flight.
After being puzzled by watching us watching her,
the youngster took off to practice her new skills.

WALK9177 08-28-16 @ 09-49-41 Ebenezer osprey fishing

By nobody won

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.

eagle distant

By empty talons
From down the hill, through the trees, I heard an osprey scream and then it flashed past the branches.
There was an immature bald eagle in aggressive pursuit of the fledgling osprey.
Frantically I followed the action, trying to get down the boat ramp.
I watched the eagle smack into the osprey, I missed that shot…
but the eagle didn’t miss the fish the osprey had just dropped.
The osprey’s empty talons says it all as the triumphant eagle bows away with its prize.
Wish the photo was clearer, but, alas…
eagle and osprey