Growing in an Osprey's garden #5

Hi Denis and Welcome. Your photos are amazing! Do they just grow great photographers in Perth ;o)) I am looking forward to seeing more of your great pix!

Kim

Enjoyed the 'chorus line'.

Welcome to Dave's Garden Calypsophoto! Your first picture takes the breath away, I don't think Ive ever seen such a beautiful photo. I,m like everyone else, please post more!

Margaret you do an ((AWESOME)) job on your threads, glad to have been here to enjoy them!

Not everyone has a birder's eye view.

Burd

Hello Denis,and welcome ,so glad Margarget made you come and visit us wannabes , Iam envious of your and margarets talent, Looking forward to more beautiful photos,my aussie Dh thinks Iam weird ,because Iam always lost in the beauty of photographs,Iam in heaven,here at daves.Glad you have joined us.Tamara

Welcome to the Bird Watching forum Denis...so glad you could join us. Your writings and photography are very inspiring and my brain (what's left of it) and eyes are rolling in my head. What are the chances that we could have two talents such as you and Margaret at the same Osprey nest? We are indeed doubly blessed and hope to see more of your work.

Welcome Denis,
I'm so grateful Margaret shared your photography with us. Your photos are breathtaking and I hope you won't mind me sneaking a peak to see what you might have added in the future.

You and Margaret certainly show your love for these beautiful raptors in your photos.

A fresh fish being delivered by the male parent.
Only once in three years have I seen the female parent actually return to the nest with a fish, whilst the chick is in the nest.
I hope to post an image of this rare capture in the next few days.
Soon the male parent will start to deliver small fish directly to the chick (no parent in the nest) to teach it how to extract fish from the claw; not always an easy task as the talons close quite tightly (i.e. lock) onto the fish when it is being extracted from the water.
If the fish is too heavy to be lifted, the bird can drown.
Note this particular fish has the head missing; this is what we see in 95% of deliveries.
The male parent takes the fish to a nearby branch or rock and first eats the head, before delivery.
When flying with a fish in the claws all ospreys very cleverly orient the fish so that the head is pointing directly into the wind/line of flight to reduce areodynamic drag.
This occurs even when flying with a large fish caught with both claws; seems impossible, but I have photographed it.


This message was edited Nov 18, 2009 7:15 PM

Welcome Denis!

So glad Margaret pointed you in the direction of Dave's Garden. I loved your website and your photo's are really amazing! We have all really enjoyed Margaret's journey with these beautiful Osprey, now we have another wonderful talent sharing photo's as well ... doesn't get any better than this!

Thats a gorgeous photo Denis! I love hearing all the different information about the Ospreys .

Such clarity! Wow, Denis ... I ran out of words! How wonderful this is to have you joining Margaret and delivering such wonderful gift for everyone to marvel over. Many thanks.

Denis, your shots are indeed very beautiful and I'm so glad you've joined us. It's an honour to have your photos alongside my own.

I went to the nest a little earlier today. I could tell immediately that Dad must have been in his favourite tree with a fish by the way Big Hook was behaving. Harmony was joining in, although not really aware why.

I was too busy trying to break my neck when dad arrived with a fish, so this shot is from shortly after he arrived. Harmony is reacts enthusiastically and quickly joins in the handover/takeover. Even though it is still being fed, the feeding is a far less passive event and it is being given larger chunks of fish, which it is managing to eat without difficulty, even anchoring the piece with its talons to make it easier.

However, the chick is still a way off feeding itself independently.

Harmony accepted the food willingly enough, but really didn't appear to be all that hungry. After Dad had delivered the meal, he took off skywards and soared for nearly two hours with another osprey. Here Harmony is watching their aerial manoeuvres.

From further down the embankment, this shot of Harmony accepting a pice of fish from Big Hook.

The two birds gazing in my direction.

Big Hook then flew to the pole branch which allowed me to get some close shots. What I've noticed with her is that her lower legs and her feet are really quite dark.

She was finding her feet quite fascinating.

Luxuriating in a scalp and beak massage.

Big Hook did a couple of brief flights to the end of the bay and returned to the nest, where she and Harmony rested for a while.

Great pictures of the developing young Osprey Harmony and its parents! Tehehe, Margaret, shall we nick name Big Hook "Dark Talons Mama"? lol.

LOL Lily_love.

There were several Pink & Grey Galahs flying around. Big Hook took off after one of them in a half-hearted chase. Here she is heading back to the nest, which was in complete shadow by this time.

I will never cease to be amazed at these beautiful birds! Look at the proud Dad standing by while Mum Big Hook leisurely feeding their young. You can almost "see" the wheels turning within Harmony as she/he watched dear parents taken up the blue sky -- thinking -- Someday, I can fly like Mum and Dad!

Lily, funny you should say that. Today, Big Hook made two or three passes over the nest. Call me fanciful, but I got the distinct impression that she was demonstrating flight to the chick who was watching with great interest.

Ha! That's real nice, Nan. May I add "...please hurry love, I'll set the table with candle and flowers picked from the garden."? Life can't be better than that!

Nice photos, Margaret and Denis. Fantastic coverage. Our Osprey are currently enjoying the warm weather in the Caribbean Islands and South America. Always look forward to their return, in March.

Beautiful pics Margaret!

hmm ... Who was that mysterious Osprey that Dad was flying around with??!! I sure hope he doesn't have eyes for another female but I've read that Ospreys nest for life. Could it have been another offspring that he was visiting with?

Today's photo's are amazing as usual! Big Hook is such a good Mom and Harmony is such a beautiful baby! I adore the photo of Big Hook heading back to the nest, great photo of her with those outstretched wings. It's going to be so much fun watching when Harmony realizes what his/her wings are for and takes to the skies for the first time!

Lin, here is to recapture Harmony's older sibling Aussie when she/he took her/his first flight. Life indeed goes on after the tragic loss of Aussie's 'ole Ma due to an eye-injury... I immagine the other Osprey that 'Ole Dad was soaring with is none other than Aussie; who's Harmony's older sibling.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5925879

Margaret and Denis, we are truely blessed to see such incredible photos.

Lily, I was wondering if it could be Harmony's step-sibling Aussie or possibly another offspring. Yes, so sad that old Ma Osprey has perished due to that eye injury but nice to see that life in the Osprey world does carry on.

Another "golden light" image of the male osprey on his way to find dinner.
He received fairly firm instructions from the female parent that he was not earning his keep, so off he goes!!!
There was no protest from him, just obedience!!

And that's exactly how it should be. Good morning Denis.

Margaret while trying to break your neck, did you slip of the embankment or did you attempt risking your neck for a better shot of Big Hook? :) Glad your OK. Careful out there girl!!!

Risking my neck for a closer shot, Burn.

I've just processed a RAW image instead of the usual Jpeg just to see what it looks like.

Oh my goodness, did I miss something? Margaret, did you fall while at the nest site? I do hope you are okay! Please be careful out there.

I'm not sure what you mean by a "Raw" image but it sure looks stunning to me!

No Lin, that was just a bit of poetic license. Mind you, you do have to tread with caution as it's not the most stable ground.

LOL, I live in the very flat land of Florida, I don't do well with heights at all, not even inside a tall building. ^_^