osprey fishing

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 Daring Dive

Ospreys are one of the most daring fishers on the lake. This mama osprey actually dove in between the two walls of the dam’s tailrace to pick up a fish for her breakfast. I always catch my breath and hold it when I watch an osprey do this daring dive! I hope you enjoy the sequence. Jordan Lake, Moncure, NC, March, 2025

By Osprey Fledgling Shake

It certainly is fun to watch a fledgling osprey catch its fish and then shake all the excess water off of its feathers. The fledglings are working hard and eating as much as they can because the migration journey to South America is not too far down the road. Some of the adult ospreys have already headed south.

By Osprey Mid-Air Shake

Jordan Lake. When an osprey dives into the water to catch a fish it also picks up a lot of water. Water is heavy at 8lbs/gallon. Ospreys weigh from 2-4.5lbs. To shed the excess weight the osprey does a shake: from the tip of its beak through its body and off its tail… just like a wet dog does. There are 3 video shake sequences and I hope you enjoy them all.

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.