Bird Watching: Whopper, the fledgling Osprey, spreads her wings., 0 by MargaretK

MargaretK wrote:

We had some concerns about Dad Osprey. No-one had seen him for about three weeks. However, he's safe and well and was eating a fish on his usual branch outside Madame X's a couple of days ago.

I've not seen Whopper with a fish that she has caught for herself and was wondering if this had happened but simply hadn't been observed. I went to the nest yesterday afternoon and she spent a fair amount of time calling for food, but none was forthcoming whilst I was there. When I downloaded the shots this morning, I couldn't figure out what the bluish thing was in front of her. Closer inspection shows it to be a dried out Blowfish, which she must have caught for herself, but just like Aussie and Harmony before her, found it to be unpalatable and abandoned it. So we know she's trying to catch her own food and it's just a matter of time before she arrives with something edible.

The nest was in full shadow. I've really, really cropped this shot in the hope that you'll be able to see the fish, which is kind of draped over a twig in front of her with its tail towards the camera.