View Full Version : Osprey
Shutterbug
07-31-2010, 13:41
In my opinion, one of the most beautiful birds seen along the AT is the Osprey. I saw one in New Hampshire.
They fly along bodies of water at about 100 feet. They can hover (fly without moving forward) for long periods of time. When the see a fish swiming close to the surface, they make a high-speed dive to capture it.
I took this picture yesterday on Puget Sound. It is an osprey in the middle of a high-speed dive.
Nice pic!
And someone was going to say it, so I might as well: Those birds make great packs too.
:)
rip waverly
11-23-2010, 19:08
one majestic beast! nice
Odd Man Out
11-24-2010, 00:40
Saw an Osprey fishing this summer at the Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area (just across the Bay Bridge from Annapolis). He made repeated dives just off shore from where we were. But that doesn't match what we saw a while back (25 years ago?) at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan's UP. We saw an Osprey take a fish out of the pond and was flying away when a Bald Eagle took the fish from the Osprey in mid air.
I absolutely agree. The Osprey is a magnificent bird... An alert and determined hunter. Quite a display as it hits the water.
If you are lucky enough to see one dive, watch carefully when it exits the water. Within 5 or so wing-flaps the Osprey appears to practically stop in mid-air and shake the water off... Much the same way a dog shakes. If are close enough and catch the sunlight just right you will see beautiful reflections all around the bird. Instantaneous, to-be-sure... Spectacular, none-the-less.
SunnyWalker
03-06-2011, 21:15
Wow. Nice photo and good comments. I'm on the lookout.
KIT CARSON
04-05-2011, 13:26
Ospreys are one of my favorite birds as well.
I live on the chesapeake bay and once saw one attack an eagle in the air, they locked together and came crashing into the water. It was pretty intense.
hikemikehike
04-10-2011, 13:15
They build their nests on channel markers around here. I also live on the chesapeake and you can find them regularly in the back waters around here. Very cool birds
Osprey have again returned to Pennsylvania after their annual seasonal absence of several months. I posted the 1st eBird record for my county last Sunday.
While waiting at dusk to see if any loons would call, I heard the ring-billed gulls at Dry Brooks beach take to the air above Blue Marsh Lake for their evening ritual of circling the lake before roosting on it for the night.
Wondering if there were any other gull species with them, I fixed my spotting scope on the flock and noticed they seemed to have put on their brakes and were somewhat scattered. Upon further inspection, I noticed a larger bird had flown more or less into the flock from the opposite direction and after briefly hovering veered off to the north.
Whether it be an Osprey, swallow, owl, pelican, Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, bluebird, Perrigrine Falcon, wren, cardinal, woodpecker, finch, Hawaiian Honeycreeper, Ibis, Heron, Sandhill Crane, asst parrot, Nene, Myna, pheasant, grouse, quail or any other bird I just like seeing them no matter what trail I'm on or where I'm hiking.
Osprey (2) and Bald Eagle today along Tulpehocken Creek. Had I gone to Lake Ontelaunee, I could have seen Common Egret and Snowy Egret.
Several FOY (1st of the year) species are migrating through Pennsylvania's Piedmont daily. Yesterday, I saw my FOY Green Heron.
American Pipet winters in Berks County and what may be migrants or lingering birds are here now. I saw a flock of 30 in a field last week. It may be the rarest A.T. breeding bird, nesting only on Mount Washington and Katahdin.
And I thought this thread was going to be about backpacks...
Derek81pci
04-11-2011, 11:36
And I thought this thread was going to be about backpacks...
Nope, this is the wildlife section. Backpacks are in the section below.
garlic08
04-11-2011, 12:55
Yes, magnificent birds. Seeing one always improves the day. I was hiking past a small lake in Yellowstone NP on my CDT hike and an osprey was struggling to gain altitude with a large catch, spiraling up. It made several laps right over my head on its way up.
I was in Puerto Penasco, Mexico over Christmas and they nest right in town there.
The attached article was provided by Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Tuckahoe
04-12-2011, 07:45
One of the pleasures of my job is that its located right on the James River and the osprey are a daily sight -- dozens of them. Just a couple days ago we watches three immature bald eagles chasing after an osprey and its fish.
There is a live osprey camera on a platform near Avalon NJ. A pair of osprey have just begun to build a nest. Very interesting.
www.wetlandsinstitute.org (http://www.wetlandsinstitute.org)
Chris
I have a favorite restaurant located on a tidal cove a few miles from my mid- coast Maine home. The food is pretty mediocre, but there is a nesting osprey on a platform visible through the restaurant windows.
The Osprey are amazing to watch. I count them as I commute over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. They land on top of the lightposts and tear into their catch. It's one of the best parts of my day. beautiful
squirrel bait
04-13-2011, 11:23
There is an Osprey nest outside my back porch, maybe 150 feet away on a platform built for them, they use it year after year, wonderful to watch. They really don't hover (for long periods of time) but turn into the prevailing wind and use it's force to, well, hover as best they can. If you see one dive and catch a fish, not only well they SHUDDER, to shed water but watch how they neatly turn the fish around to be carried head first. They always due this, aerodynamics and all. Wonderful bird, hard to tell male from female, look for the females brown collar.
Ladytrekker
04-13-2011, 11:44
Ospreys are quite common in Florida and yet I never get tired of seeing them. We actually have one that recently built a nest on one of the city's largest bridges and her nest sits right on the corner of the west bound lane. See her everyday.
Old Hiker
04-13-2011, 11:49
Had a pair of fish-hawks sitting frequently in one of our open hallways through the buildings here at my Middle School, at least until school started. They would sit and open up the large fish they had caught around the area and scream at you as you walked though.