OT - it's an amazing world
 

It's been really hot here on the west coast. Hotter than usual for this time of year in my area. So, the other day, I drove up to an alpine lake at 6500' to cool off. As I sat there on the shore, I watched in amazement as several ospreys caught fish. They dove into the water so forcefully, they would actually be totally submerged. Not once did I see one hit the water and come up without a fish. Wild nature is just so cool! Anyway, landscape photography is my thing. I only dabble in wildlife now and then. So, I only managed to get a couple of shots. But, watching those birds was a spiritual experience.

Same bird. It flew right over me with the trout in it's talons.

I love osprey! Great shot! I love the way they carry their prey.

Then, on the way home, this glorious sunset appeared. I'm just so grateful for being able to "see." There was a time when I couldn't see a thing, other than my own troubles...

Nice catch!

For you and that fantastic bird!

I must find out of they live around here.

Beth

Beth, there is a good chance they live around you. They are not uncommon at all. Usually, they live around lakes and rivers because 90% of their diet consists of fish. So, if you have bodies of water near you with fish in them, chances are, you have ospreys also. :)

L

Love all, but especially the colors in the sunset.
~T

Fantastic

http://www.houghtonlakeresorter.com/...ith_number.jpg

I am not sure about the link, a local paper.
The story is called Segej and the Osprey.
There is a group OWSEM, Osprey Watchers of Southeast Michigan, who tag
and study the population.
Now that I have seen the pictures, I think I have seen one or two of them,
thinking they were hawks. (far away).

anyway, thank you again for the great pics LTD,
the ones in the paper didn't help much!
wow! those talons are incredible, four inches long!
I am keeping my eyes open for the osprey now.

Beth

Yes, we do!
Hah! I was typing and reading that story, but, yeah, this is one of their habitats.
I was quite surprised by all the little x's on the map, and now, i want to go where
one has been seen and watch one work the water.
Stunning!

Look for the nests. They are very big and usually at the top of a broken off dead tree. In some places, they build platforms for them on top of utility poles...

Eagles are great fishers, too, but they are very glad that the Osprey is, too. Eagles steal fish from Osprey all the time. :tongue:

To go along with your amazing osprey photos, here is what Anvilhead posted in a thread I started about a week ago, which I thought was a beautiful image to keep in mind:

We live on a lake and have ospreys and eagles that come 'round. When they are on the hunt, there is NO doubt about their intentions...they hover above, they swoop and swirl and the DIVE after their prey. It is magnificent and silent. They have a purpose and have no NEED to announce their plan. They are unconcerned with the world around them....for the eagle there are always the attendant "murder" of crows, dive bombing, harassing, relentless...they are honed in on their goal.

Recovery is the osprey, tucking its wing in close to its body, a missile now, a projectile diving in a straight line towards the water, seeing beneath the surface to the fish.

Thanks again, Anvilhead! And now we have photos to go with that, too!

Gorgeous.

Great photos LTD!

Anvil is so wise and observant. They are amazing to watch. And yes, they go in like a missile! Here is a sequence I just put together in photoshop.

Wow! You live in an amazing place & you are an excellent photographer--do you do this professionally?

Thank you very much. Wildlife is a thrill to shoot, but mostly I do landscapes. And yes, I do it professionally, to the extent that I sell a few prints a month. I would still do it even if no one ever bought them, though. It's how I feed my soul. :)

L

A related story...

There is a ranch not too far from where I live that has these cool old abandoned buildings on it. I really wanted to shoot the old buildings from the vantage point where I could get Mount Shasta in the background. So, I drove out there several times looking for a sign or name on a mailbox, or something that would help me locate the owners so I could obtain permission to go on the land.

One time when I was out there investigating, I saw a pair of ospreys flying around. And I thought, how strange to see "fish birds" out in the middle of ranch land. That was also the trip when I figured out who owns the place.

As it turns out, the ranch is owned by The Nature Conservancy. They bought it 3 or 4 years ago as a proof-of-concept project for restoring salmon habitat. The Shasta River runs through the property, although it is so far upstream, it's actually more of a small stream. So, they fenced off the river to keep the cattle from trampling the banks and eating the plants near the water. In three years, the number of salmon they were able to count spawning in the stream went from about 3 dozen to over 1500! That's why the birds were there! It's great to hear such a wonderful success story, and right in my neighborhood, too. Cattle ranching doesn't have to be incompatible with salmon habitat, and by helping the salmon, other animals are helped as well. It just gives me the warm fuzzies!

Oh, and here is one of the old buildings. :)

I would like to camp out in that old building for a while.
:c029:
You're photos are amazing as always, keep them coming & thank you for sharing.