April 12, 2011

An Osprey's Dinner

On a recent trip to Ouray Wildlife Refuge, we spotted this osprey hanging out atop a telephone pole.
 He was savoring his meal.  A fish from the Green River?
The osprey is sometimes called a sea hawk or fish eagle.  His diet consists almost exclusively of fish.  His eyesight is well adapted to seeing down into the water from above.  Prey can be sighted from as high as 130 feet.  He hovers, then plunges feet first into the river or lake to catch his supper. 
Osprey usually mate for life.  Their typical lifespan is 7 to 10 years. 

21 comments:

  1. Nice photos. I'm not sure that I've seen one live.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love ospreys! I see them frequently in the Provo river valley near Heber. They are fantastic divers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Neat Janie.... Love seeing the Osprey.. Did he share his fish with you????? Bet not!!!!! ha ha
    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awesome capture, Janie! You take exquisite photos to share ... TY.
    Have a lovely eve ~
    TTFN ~
    Marydon

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love that they are monogamous. I wish their life span was longer though....
    this is one that we can view here in Florida too. Love them. They seem to enjoy softball fields because of the BIG lights.
    Great shots Janie.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great shots! We have a lot of Osprey around here and they have just returned for the season.

    ReplyDelete
  7. These are wonderful pictures of the osprey. Thanks for the information on the osprey.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wonderful captures! I am not sure I have ever seen one before.

    ReplyDelete
  9. We've been monitoring an Osprey's nest right around the corner at work. Occasionally I've seen them with fish in their talons.

    ReplyDelete
  10. When I lived in Washington working on the South side of Mt St Helens, the Osprey was our first sign of spring. The pair always returned to the same nest. Loved to watch them fish.

    ReplyDelete
  11. These are fabulous photos Janie. The Osprey is a beautiful bird.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Beautiful photos, Janie. We enjoy seeing them around the waters here also.

    hugs,
    Pam

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wish I were there. What a treat for the camera's eye! I have always wanted to photo an osprey! What a trip you two are on.

    ReplyDelete
  14. now that is a fisherman....

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow - these are some amazing close-up shots!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great captures and interesting facts, Janie.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Nice shots of a great bird. Wonder just what it was eating?

    ReplyDelete
  18. I tried all last year to take a photo like that...and you took three! I am in awe, Janie!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great shots!! There are a lot of Osprey (and Bald Eagles) at Jordan Lake a couple of counties over from us. The best way to see the Osprey there is out on a boat. We usually see them at the beach too if we are on the bay side. At Duck I was surprised to see them nest on old pier posts right beside the road.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin