osprey flight

Tag

By Jordan Lake Dam, Haw River: One Spot

One Spot the male osprey came in and did a slow cruise past me and filled up my lens! I noted that his front was messy – he’d probably been feeding fish to his chicks and that can be a messy affair. He would probably stop in a few minutes and do a head to toe grooming as it isn’t the safest thing to fly with dirty feathers. Birds are more fastidious about cleanliness than cats.

By Jordan Lake, Haw River: Ace the DareDevil Father Osprey
Ace the DareDevil father Osprey took a calculated risk and dared the river waters flowing between the walls of the tailrace to go fishing.  He appeared out over the lake, flew over the top of the dam, without hesitation dropped in-between the walls, and caught a rather large fish for his chicks.  The fish probably weighs about 2 pounds … Dad Osprey weighs somewhere about 4 pounds.  Awesome feat of fishing!  GO ACE GO!!!
PS: the green tint to the lower right of the slides is actually the leaves of some grass between my lens and the action.

By Jordan Lake: South Cove Ospreys, Nest Repair

The pair of ospreys have been repairing their old nest, getting it ready for egg laying and the next generation.  Dad osprey goes hunting for a stick, finds one and then has to fight the wind to get it into the nest.  He gets the stick to the nest and Mom osprey then begins the work of weaving in the branch.  Cooperation!!!