part 2, Ace missed the Fish

By neighdoctor July 14, 2015 part 2, Ace missed the Fish

Ace’s body was halfway into the water when he realized the danger.
He began pulling up hard, fighting for altitude.
His body swung to his left and he got the left wing tip caught in the water.

Going from the bottom left of the photo:
The smaller spreading circular splash shows his trajectory as he almost got his body cleared of the river.
The next curve of bubbles shows where his left wing tapped the water and he began a half arc.
Finally he got straightened out and his body fully free of the river. Oh, my.

Whew! Ace missed!

By neighdoctor July 13, 2015 Whew! Ace missed!

I could see the fish as Ace flared his talons for the snatch.
I heard the fisherman further up the bank yell.
Ace looked puzzled as he neared the fish and suddenly aborted his strike.
The osprey had been diving for a fish that the fisherman had just hooked and was reeling in.
Both the fisherman and I breathed better when my photos showed us that Ace had not caught himself on the fish, lure or line.
Whew.

careful feet

By neighdoctor June 23, 2015 careful feet

There is not much room left in the nest.
I’m not sure who is more worried about sharp talons landing in the wrong place –
mom osprey or the chicks.
Note that as mom lands, her toes are knuckling under to prevent her talons from accidentally harming a chick.
The eagles do the same when in the nest and there is no fish to hold down for shredding.

angry mom

By neighdoctor June 21, 2015 angry mom

I was not in sight of the osprey nest when mom osprey found me.
She was angry, very angry; the dropped legs and feet are a threat posture.
I was pulling on my camo when I saw her shadow over me and then heard her scream.
I stopped, dared to lift my camera toward her, and she warned me again.
I did not argue and regretted having somehow upset the protective mom.
Quietly walking back to my vehicle more than a quarter mile away, I wondered about the violent reaction.
I have watched the nest for almost a month, on and off, and I rarely got more than a glance from the parents.
Part of the mystery was solved when a human resident told me that a lot of people had found the nest over the weekend.
They ignored the parent ospreys’ warnings and irritated the human resident since “his” birds were upset.
Another part of the mystery: one of the chicks had fledged and that makes parents very, very edgy.
I gave mom and nest a wide berth and headed on up the lake – asking the Creator to provide the nest some peace.