A male Osprey in search of fish which constitutes roughly 99% of an Osprey's diet.
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.
Male Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) flying.
This Osprey had just delivered a fish to its mate and two chicks who were in their nest. It swooped in, landed in the nest, dropped the fish in front of the chicks and immediately took off circling back toward the ocean, probably for more fish.
The Ospreys are back for another season at the salt marsh and for an hour and half today they put on a spectacular show swooping and diving for fish.
Osprey launched itself from the top of a tall tree and is working its powerful wings to gain altitude.
Osprey
This Osprey had just made an attempt to steal a fish from a fellow Oprey and failed.
An Osprey swoops over the water after dropping off a fish for its mate in the nest. When leaving the nest which sits on a man-made platform, they always seem to swoop down in a low arch before gaining altitude. The Osprey is not going after the Cormorant as it may appear to be in the photo.
This Osprey had been on its nest for most of the morning chirping away. The three other Ospreys that share the nest were out and about. The Osprey must have decided it needed some exercise. It swooped down from the nest and took one fast lap around the salt marsh returning to its nest. It stayed there for the rest of the morning, just chirping away.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) soars above a salt marsh looking for fish.
The Tern wouldn't leave the Osprey alone but kept after it matching the Osprey's every turn and manuver.
An Osprey heads for a treetop.
An Osprey aborts landing onto a treetop branch at the last minute and flys away.
This Osprey had just made a dive into the water for a fish. It is making a low 180 degree turn after coming up out of the water.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
It was a nice warm day at the salt marsh. Most of the birds were sunning themselves or sleeping. Occasionally an Osprey, as shown here, would move from one tree to another.
The Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) and many other birds are back at the salt marsh for another high activity season of building nests, mating, fishing and fighting over food and territory. This Osprey is circling the salt marsh looking for a fish for his mate.
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.
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.