The Travels of Tug 44 |
|
Osprey |
 |
|
The Osprey is a Hawk, and sometimes called a Seahawk, as they usually live near water, where they eat exclusively fish. They are extremely well equipped for catching fish, which they do with their huge claws. They are huge, with a 6 foot wingspan. high-res
|
 |
|
This is a female Osprey, as indicated by the speckles on her upper chest. This is sometimes called the "necklace". high-res
|
 |
|
Ospreys are excellent fish hunters, this one caught a Northern Pike, a somewhat dangerous fish. high-res
|
 |
|
This is a very angry female Osprey, and she wants a piece of me! I had strayed too close to her nest and she flew right at me, missing my head by only about 10 feet. That was a scarey moment! high-res
|
 |
|
She flew past me, then turned and gained a bit of altitude and came back for another pass at me. high-res
|
 |
|
And then she made another pass, she was absolutely determined to get me far away from her nest. I have seen Ospreys beat up Bald Eagles to defend their nest. They are utterly fearless when there is a perceived threat. high-res
|
 |
|
Osprey sex! The female was sitting on the nest as the male came in for a landing, and he landed right on her back. She accepted him and they had sex. Notice he has his huge claws curled up so as not to injure her. If she were not in the mood that moment, she would have shaken him off. high-res
|
 |
|
Here we have Momma Osprey and her 2 little chicks! They look a bit prehistoric and they have a strong appetite for raw fish. They do grow extremely quickly. high-res
|
 |
|
This is a nearly-grown Osprey chick. Note the chick has speckled wings and orange eyes. The adults have black wings and yellow eyes. high-res
|
 |
|
Meet Mom and her two chicks! The one on the left has orange eyes and a white breast so it is a male chick. The bird in the middle has a speckled breast and orange eyes so this is a female chick. And on the right is Mom with her speckled chest and yellow eyes. high-res
|
 |
|
This was a day with torrential rains and this male osprey was sopping wet. He's holding his wings low as they drip dry. I got this photo from my back porch, he was sitting in a tree across the canal from my house. high-res
|
 |
|
July 2019 Mom and daughter Osprey are hugging and cuddling on each other. Now there's something ya don't see very often. high-res
|
 |
|
August 2019 - An Osprey lands on a tree in my back yard with a fish for lunch. He continued fishing from that branch for the next 2 days. high-res |
Lighthouses - Canal Corp Boats - Tugboats & Trawlers