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October 5, 2007
Friday Feathers
While strolling through a marine nature study area last month, I knew I'd eventually come across a platform built for Ospreys. The platforms are man-made wooden towers built quite high up, so capturing images can be difficult unless you're using a zoom lens.
It was late morning, humid, and the temperature was extremely warm. The sky was a grayish-blue even though the sun was very bright. Signs along the path indicated that visitors should walk past the platform quickly so as not to disturb the osprey in the nest. Unable to linger and spend a lot of time taking a number of photographs using different settings, I did what I could in the few minutes I had.
When I enlarged the photograph above on my laptop there was a bit of surprise. When I took the photo all I could see were the two Osprey, the nest and nothing more. Here's what I didn't see:
Osprey offspring! At least three or four were nestled in the nest, leaving me wishing I'd had a more powerful lens to capture them.
As mentioned previously, lingering was not an option, and as I passed the platform I turned my head to see if the Osprey parents had moved and sure enough, one took off and landed on a post on the other side of the study area. I picked up the pace and got there as fast as I could, where the Osprey remained perched long enough for me to reach it (well within a safe distance) and take this photograph.
Cindy
Comments
Wonderful shots! The young'ns look like they're spying on you! Just adorable.
Brain matter deposited by: susan on October 6, 2007 10:10 AM
Great photos. I once had the experience of sailing a dinghy race on a large dam in South Africa, and had an African Osprey take a large fish from almost alongside the boat. In the light wind at the time we were barely moving and the fish must have been lurking in the shadow cast by our sails. I'm not sure who got the bigger surprise - me and my crew or the fish!
Brain matter deposited by: The Gray Monk on October 6, 2007 12:53 PM
i love the last photo - ospreys make the largest of nests, don't they?
Brain matter deposited by: zed on October 9, 2007 9:57 AM
Several years ago, they nursed an ailing bald eagle back to health at the preserve in our area. They held a release ceremony and I believe President Clinton was the one who actually let the eagle fly. About ten seconds into flight, an osprey swooped in and stomped all over the eagle that had "intruded" into his territory. They had to rescue the eagle, nurse it back to health again and release it later in another location.
Brain matter deposited by: Ted on October 10, 2007 11:31 AM