An Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) descending for a landing on its nest.
Osprey Fishing For River Herring
An Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) circles high above the water searching for fish. When it spots a fish, it hovers and then dives head first through the air but plunges into the water feet first getting completely submerged. In this photo, the Osprey is coming up out of the water while I wait to see if it got a herring.
This Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flew into the salt marsh scattering all of the birds except the Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) either to the far remote corners of the salt marsh or completely out. The Ospreys are not afraid of bald eagles. In this photo, it appears the Bald Eagle is chasing the Osprey but it is the opposite. The Osprey is above the Bald Eagle and is shadowing it to keep it away from the Osprey nests.
This Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) took off from it's nest while It's mate sits on the eggs. It came very close to the bird blind I was in while gaining altitude.
Osprey Flying with a River Herring
The Ospreys (Pandion haliagetus) were out in force today diving for River Herring or Alewifes. The herring move into estuaries (a partially enclosed body of brackish water with one or more streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the ocean) and swim upstream to breed in fresh water and then swim back out to the ocean. The Ospreys are waiting for the herring as they move into and out of the estuary.
An Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) waits on the nest for its mate flying in from the ocean, hopefully with a fish.
Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) dive feet-first into the water to catch a fish. In this photo, the Oprey is coming up out of the water with a fish.
The Osprey has a wingspread of 54-72".
As soon as this osprey (Pandion haliaetus) caught the fish, the Herring Gull (Larus hyperboreus) did everything it could to steal the fish from the osprey. They dipped, dived, twisted and turned and disappeared into the woods and the osprey still had the fish.
A Herring Gull (Larus hyperboreus) chases an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) that just caught a River Herring.
I was standing in a field with my back to this tree when I heard a loud musical chirping. I turned around, looked up and there was this osprey eating a fish dinner.