osprey flight

Tag

By First photo of Bald Eagle Chick and an Osprey too 3 photos 2/11/2018
First Nest   CHICK!!!!!
 
first photo: see if you can find the chick: look for a white fuzz ball with 2 black eyes …
and if you have trouble, go to second photo
 
Chicks at this age are white going to grey, have bright black eyes, and bobble because they have trouble holding their heads up.
It didn’t help me that the wind was blowing at 14 mph and the sky was totally overcast,
it was drizzling rain and all was dull grey so I hope the photos are ok.
 
 
The osprey has returned!! and at least 3 weeks early.  I usually see them start to arrive about March 3.
While watching the eagle chick, I heard the osprey before I saw him.
I thought I was hearing things in anticipation of warmer weather, and there came the osprey around the shoreline.
 
 
 

By JL Raptors all over the lake!
Raptors all over the Lake!
 
This pair of adult eagles spent several minutes circling each other before straightening out and together heading west.
 
 
The fledgling osprey on the left has a fish.  The fledgling bald eagle on the right wants it!  The osprey held onto his meal.
 
 
A female fledgling very proud of her fish.  She caught it, went to a perch and removed its head before flying off to find a safer place to eat.
 
 
Some time later I realized I was looking at a now well-fed female juvenile osprey!
 

By JL Neighborhood, 5 photos 8/23/2017

In between watching eclipses and aerobatic bald eagles, I have kept my eye on other interesting critters …
This is father osprey plowing into the lake for a fish.


A white-tailed buck very calmly glanced my way and then went back to browsing.


Something must have tickled this great blue heron’s toes – he sure made a spectacular leap and didn’t take flight!

It was great fun watching the pileated woodpecker stop his hammering just long enough for me to get his portrait.


The three brassy little skipper butterflies were sharing a button bush blossom.

By Images

The ospreys are fledging at Jordan Lake – taking their first flights.

Male osprey fledgling. Note his orange eye. Adults have a golden eye.


This is a female osprey fledgling. Her dark feathered “brooch” marks her gender.


A little easier to see her dark neck patch.


By far the easiest way to tell that these ospreys are fledglings are by the white “rivets” on their feathers.


The “rivets” are white dots at the ends of their feathers and will wear off as they age.

By JL Neighborhood, black & white photography
Some days there is nothing like black and white photography to show details.
 
Unknown 4 year-old-bald eagle.  Oh, so, self-assured.
 
 
A pair of ospreys.  The female is the upper bird.  Note her bigger bulk.
 As in all raptors, the girls are bigger.
 
 
A glare that would be worthy of a bald eagle.
The eastern kingbird certainly seemed to be issuing an edict about whose territory I was on.
 
 
Male osprey taking home a fish for his chicks who are close to fledging.