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.

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!

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.

Jordan Lake. The ospreys have returned. The sky has suddenly filled with their chirps and fishing dives. This female appears to have a full crop and the remains of a fish meal on her lower abdomen. Welcome back Ospreys!

female osprey