Lunch with an Osprey

I had been out walking for a bit yesterday despite the heat and humidity. I stopped at the grocery store for some this 'n' that, and going around back to take the shortcut home I heard an Osprey making a racket. Well, that's not unusual, given that there's a semi-permanent nest atop the broadcast tower there at Toppa Field. But there was nobody up in the nest. Instead, the Osprey making all the noise was on a lighting stanchion closer to the street, and lo and behold it had a fish!

This was one of the two young'uns of this year's brood; the other one was across the field sitting atop another stanchion. Aside from other indications (like fewer black markings on the neck and chest and orange rather than yellow eyes), the best way to tell its age is the fact that it's now August and this bird is still staying around the nest. When the young birds finally fledge and don't need Mama and Papa to feed them any more, the adult birds head off; since they're not raising youngsters any more, they no longer need a nest. But the kids hang around the nest until migration time, mainly because the nest is the only roost they're familiar with. So the following three shots are of one of this year's brood enjoying some lunch.

© 2009 by A. Roy Hilbinger