male osprey

Tag

By I Got Here First …

Mom Osprey needs to replenish her body and probably her spirits before she leaves for South America on the fall migration. Every once in a while two ospreys will sight the same fish at almost the same time. Mom osprey got to the fish before the male osprey did. The better part of valor makes him float up and over her and out. She happily hauls her fish away.

By Osprey Golden Hour

Jordan Lake. This fledgling osprey and his catfish catch certainly show the glory of the morning golden hour. In photography the golden “hour” is the short moment of time just after sunrise or just before sunset when the light is infused with red and gold tones.

By Osprey Surfing the Riprap

Jordan Lake Dam. Have you ever seen an OSPREY go big wave SURFING? This male osprey came plunging out of the sky and into the river right in front of the thundering waves of the riprap. I don’t know whose heart was beating faster: his or mine… Hope you have a moment to watch the challenge to catch a fish!

By 1 Osprey and 2 Fish

Jordan Lake Dam. The male osprey has caught two fish. I can’t tell you whether the small fish was in the process of being caught by the big fish when the osprey caught both fish. Or did the osprey’s talons catch the small fish as it’s talons caught the large fish. I don’t honestly know … an interesting puzzle.

By Osprey’s Big Catch!

Jordan Lake Dam. The male osprey went fishing in between the dam’s tail race walls. He disappeared into the rolling waves of the thundering Haw River. When I finally got a clear focus on him, I just stared. I have long known that an osprey can might nigh carry half of his own 3 pounds of weight … but as the osprey swung past me … that is one huge crappie under the bird. Whew!

By Osprey vs Great Blue Heron

Jordan Lake. Dad Osprey definitely didn’t want the great blue heron to get anywhere close to his nest with mom and newly hatched chicks. As is usual in confrontational situations, the parent bird really doesn’t want to make contact because it does not want to get itself injured. It is better to bluff and threaten. The great blue heron made it safely past the osprey nest. Dad osprey landed triumphantly in the nest with his mate and chicks.