Chesapeake Bay Area Osprey Activity
If you’ve been following my posts on our community’s osprey nest platform and the possible residency of a pair of Osprey, that pair has stopped altogether in trying to build a new nest this season due to another Osprey pair who have been stealing from our platform the sticks that our pair has been laying. They still reside mostly on Lippincott’s channel marker but do visit our platform for a perch or to chase away another Osprey thinking of resting there. So they seem to think they still own it. Maybe next year they both will return and give it their all in total control of their nest building, and our community will have an Osprey family to celebrate and enjoy!
Not to fret, our area off the Chesapeake Bay is absolutely abundant with Osprey. You cannot go around the water and not see one. The male Ospreys are fishing not for themselves now but for their families too, plus they are try to keep their nests built up to keep the young chicks from falling out. It’s the male’s busiest time to say the least! And in another month, all of those chicks will be in the air as well. 🙂
We are boaters and that gives me even more opportunities to photograph birds that love being around the water. Unfortunately, we’ve only gotten out a few times this season, but the ops were awesome as always! With so many photos on several bird varieties, I’ve decided to devote this post entirely to the Osprey, my fave. I took SO many Osprey photos, it was crazy. On a trip up the Miles River and around the Wye River, I stopped counting Osprey nests at 57, it got monotonous if you can believe that!
Ospreys in our area for the most part are quite tolerate of humans. You can slowly pass by them on their nests and they just curiously look at you; of course, I wouldn’t doubt they’d attack if you got right up to their nest of babies.
In addition to some close-ups and flight shots, I’ve included photos to show some of their nesting habitats. Now onto one of my Osprey overloads! 😉
I did say Osprey overload, right?!! I hope you enjoyed and thanks so much for stopping by!
What a wonderful display! Donna, I thank you for your effort, you did an A+ job! I have never photographed an Osprey. You’re lucky to have them close to you. 🙂
Thanks so much, HJ! I am lucky! Told you before, you need to make a road trip to the Chesapeake Bay area! 🙂
Such beautiful birds and wonderful photos Donna! Thanks so much for sharing all of these!
Thank you Joleen!
Wow! There’s no such thing as an osprey overload with such fantastic photos!
Maybe to two gave up because they’re young ones and it was too late in the year to start a family?
Thanks Jerry! Yep, their instinct to produce has long past, and so the instinct to nest-build was wavered, even though they know they’re supposed to establish a residence. The thievery definitely crushed their instincts this year, but they sure did give it their all for sure!
You are lucky to have such photo opportunities and we are lucky that you take the opportunities so brilliantly.
Thank you Tom! I’m thankful that I get to share what ops I am lucky to have and at the same time enjoy so much in seeing what lucky ops you and others have for me! 🙂
That one between the signs is amazing-good collection of nests and photos.
Osprey will sway/shift their heads & bodies side to side as they intently eyeball something or you. It is hilarious when you capture that leaning or watch them through binoculars doing it as they look down into the water. An osprey’s eyesight is 3-5 times greater than a human being’s, and this vision helps an osprey judge the position of a moving fish. Surrounding their eyes is a dark band, which reduces glare when the osprey flies over sunlit waters (in the same way black smudges under a football player’s eyes help reduce glare). Not sure why he swayed at me, I was within 15-20 feet of him, and surely big enough to see, lol.
Enjoy? Sure did! Thanks for taking us out on the water to experience all these magnificent birds!!!
Thank you, David! As long as hubby gets to cruise fast most times, he’s happy to take me up smaller rivers/creeks on a slower pace and position the boat as best/safe he can for me for a photo op! 🙂
Always love seeing the amazing osprey!
Thanks, Phil!
Excellent series of shots! My faves are the flying with the fish and the talon pic..:-))
Thanks Ed! We definitely wouldn’t want to tangle with those talons, huh?!!! 🙂
especially if you are a fish..;-)
I enjoy your photos! I see Osprey here every day, but can never get close enough for photos.
Thanks Terry, I enjoy your breathtaking mountain scenery too! 🙂
Just incredible photos! As always! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Kitty!
You capture phenomenal, dramatic images. Thanks for sharing these with us.
Thanks Rick! I’m sure you’re enjoying seeing them in your sailing adventures across the Bay as well. Aren’t we lucky to see so many?!! 🙂
WOW! What a great moments you captured dear Donna, they are all great shots, especially the looking eyes hit me. Thank you, love, nia
Thanks Nia! In person, you can feel their eyes piercing right through you when they stare at you. You never want to mess with one of them with those sharp sharp talons they have, yikes! 😉
What a beautiful series of photos! I especially enjoy the osprey in flight and when they are about to land.
I think I mentioned that our local osprey nest failed this year. I just learned that our local bald eagle nest failed, too. Wow. I’m still wondering if the difficulty was the unusually cold weather we had this spring.
You did mention about the failed osprey nest this year. Sorry to hear about your local eagle nest too. 😦 I’ve heard about many failures around the country on both osprey & eagles, and it has seemed more than the usual this season. It does make me wonder too if this year’s crazy spring weather was part of the failure problem everywhere. When we think we have great bird comebacks in large numbers, mother nature steps in and causes confusion. 😦