We've come from here. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/938966/#new
I thought things were heading into a slow patch with Aussie. However, the day before yesterday I went to the nest and a short time later, she arrived with a fish in her talons. I was really excited until I saw that the fish she'd caught was a Blowfish (Blowie) a poisonous species of puffer fish. It was really cloudy and very late afternoon so the shots are quite dark. I've had to do some lightening.
It is a small fish and she's grasping it in her left claw. She flew from the nest up onto the right hand branch.
These Blowies have s small section of the tail that isn't poisonous. Otherwise, if ingested, these fish will kill animals and humans. We're frequently reading and hearing about dogs dying after eating a dead one they've found on the foreshore and people are warned to keep an eye on what their dogs are eating. A fish called a Tailer (Bluefish in the US) will come from behind the Blowies and sever and eat the tail - hence their local name. The Japanese reportedly play a form of Russian roulette by eating the tail section, which is considered a delicacy. However, a number of deaths occur because some of the poisonous part has been left with the "safe" section.
You can imagine my consternation when I saw her with one and thought that what was possibly her first catch was going to end up killing her. I know some species have immunity to poisons and hoped that this would be the case with Ospreys.
I went back to the nest at midday yesterday and again later in the afternoon and she seems completely OK.
You may be able to see the Blowie puffed up - a defensive action.
She wasn't quite sure what to do with it.
This shot shows the puffed up fish a little more clearly.
More info on eating Fugu (the Japanese name for Blowfish) here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugu
Resin
Thanks Resin.
Thanks Sue.
Here's another shot of her with the Blowie before she returned to the nest.
Nice pics !! Did you see her eat it Margaret?
She's heading back to the nest with her catch. Pelle, I did see her eating the Blowie but fortunately she didn't really get stuck into it. She did a lot of head shaking and would leave it and walk around the nest in an agitated manner before returning to it for another feed. It was clearly not very palatable, which is a good thing.
I've included this because I love the patterning on the underside of her wings.
She abandoned her "yucky" fish in favour of the one Dad was bringing in. And wasn't she excited!!
And here she is eating the fish that Dad brought. I'll bet she never goes for one of those Blowies again.
Marg, I am so glad that Aussie is okay! Did Dad stay long enough to give her a lecture on which foods/fish not to eat? ;o) Did you see Mom? Her feather pattern under her wings is so lovely. Great pictures...especially the one where Aussie is proudly showing the world her first catch.
So cute seeing her excited about dad's fish!! lol
She is able to catch fish on her own now! How neat.
Hope she learned her lesson about the puffer fish.
Great pics Margaret! She is so wonderful to see. I love it when she gets excited.
She is just so beautiful. I was so glad to see an Osprey here so that I could know what little Aussie sounded like!
I wonder if their accents are different.
I wonder if their accents are different.
It was a gloomy, overcast and very sultry day today. It tried hard to rain and eleven drops actually made it to earth - (official count). When I got to the nest site close on 5pm Aussie was on the nest squawking loudly and looking downwards, which immediately alerted me to Mum's presence. Sure enough, she was on the low branch of the tree next to the nest tree. I was greatly relieved to see her with a freshly caught fish as I think it would be highly unlikely that she would have been given it by the male.
I was looking at some of my earliest shots of the parent birds back in August. At that time, the female's left eye still had an iris and pupil, but it was dull and had no life to it. My shots from then are not clear but I'm sure I can see blood on several of them and I'm assuming the injury is quite a recent one, especially in light of the marked deterioration over several weeks to what now appears to be complete blindness in her left eye.
Aussie has not experienced any ill effects to her Blowfish encounter. She was obviously very hungry today and jumped around the nest on several occasions having hissy fits because Mum wasn't bringing her any of her catch. Pity about the lighting, because some of her in-flight shots today were actually in focus, which is a bit of a miracle.
That's our girl.
She decided that as Mum wasn't coming to her, she'd go to Mum.
Through the foliage of a nearby tree. She's got Mum in her sights.
That plan didn't work out so she ended up back at the nest and continued to call to her mother, who by that time had finished the fish and was having a doze.
Hopefully tomorrow will bring better light.
So great to see her in flight Margaret!
Aww, she's really flying now!
Margaret, I'm pretty sure I heard that Osprey say "El squeak"
At that time, the female's left eye still had an iris and pupil, but it was dull and had no life to it. My shots from then are not clear but I'm sure I can see blood on several of them and I'm assuming the injury is quite a recent one, especially in light of the marked deterioration over several weeks to what now appears to be complete blindness in her left eye.
Thanks for the wonderful flight shots, Margaret.
I'm glad to see Aussie's progress. Her catch of the fish and those great shots of her flight. Also happy to hear she didn't eat the whole fish. Lesson learned.
Just a fantastic journey.
Yes, Burn, I'm greatly relieved that she experienced no ill-effects from her Blowie encounter.
GP, watching her flying around is just amazing. I am trying to get some more in-flight shots. Lots of trees to restrict that already tiny window of opportunity.
Thanks for the links, Resin.
I'm assuming our girl had already had a feed by the time I got to the nest site late this afternoon as she wasn't as fractious as yesterday. I heard the mother Osprey close by, but didn't see her. I haven't seen the male for the last two days, although this morning when I was over the other side of the river, an Osprey went by. Could have been him.
Here's a shot of her this evening.
She'd been up on the branch and flew down onto the nest. She looks every inch the raptor.
Every afternoon I think, oh nothing will be happening, I'll give it a miss today. Then I think of the privilege I've been afforded and what I might be missing and happily head off to the nest site and am always glad I did. I'll go again tomorrow.
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 9:08 PM
She's looking gorgeous Margaret! Great pics!
Amazing shots Margaret!
She's picking up a lot of skill, fabulous shots Margaret.
Like that last shot...showing off those legs!! lol
Absoulutely amazing photos, Margaret. Your patience has paid off beautifully.
There was no-one at the nest when I got there late this afternoon. After about half an hour, Aussie arrived, calling loudly as if she was starving to death. Eventually the male arrived with a fish, which he deposited and left very quickly. Aussie held the fish in her talons for a good fifteen minutes before taking it up onto the branch to devour it. No sight or sound of Mum Osprey today.
The shadow of the tree was already over the nest and by the time she got up onto the branch, it was also in shade. I waited an hour for the sun to make its way slowly down the branch as it started to set. I'm really disappointed in the quality of the shots I got this afternoon as you'll see when I post them. They do, however, portray her ability to feed herself.
I watched for over an hour as she slowly consumed the fish. She'll never suffer from indigestion.
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