Diving, launching and calling

coastalconn · Jul 9, 2015

I know most people think the "holidays" are the best time of year. My Christmas comes in July and lasts until September. The cove I photograph fills up with Atlantic Menhaden with an onslaught of hungry Osprey. Yesterday I got yet another pretty sweet dive shot. The day before I was out with the famous Dr. Paul Spitzer (one of the big 3 that saved the Osprey in the northeast from DDT) and went to about 15 of the nests he actively monitors them for eggs, hatches and fledges. There is a small island with about 35 platforms with active Osprey. Comments welcome and thanks for looking..

1 The Dive

Osprey dive 7_8 by Kristofer Rowe, on Flickr

2 The call

Pre-fledge Osprey 7_7 by Kristofer Rowe, on Flickr

3 These last 4 were from a moving boat...

Osprey 7_7 4 by Kristofer Rowe, on Flickr

4

Osprey 7_7 3 by Kristofer Rowe, on Flickr

5

Osprey 7_7 5 by Kristofer Rowe, on Flickr

6 The educational aspect. When young birds return to CT after the first 2 years in South America, nesting becomes difficult due to the well established older birds. The colony on this small island is very strong so the younger birds are forced to build ground nests. Unfortunately these ground nests always fail because of predation from raccoon, fox and other ground dwellers. This is one of those nests.

Osprey failed ground nest 7_7 by Kristofer Rowe, on Flickr

jsecordphoto · Jul 9, 2015

35 nests!! You are getting spoiled down there. Very cool that you got to go out with somebody so important to osprey conservation

C. Brian Kerr · Jul 9, 2015

Kris. Merry Christmas ! what a great opportunity. great set also

Woodsman · Jul 9, 2015

All great but 1&2... OMG marvelous

MSnowy · Jul 9, 2015

Nice set! Wow! 34 more nest than around here.

jimmerjamma · Jul 9, 2015

They are all amazing photos! I really like the dive photo, i've never seen one like that before! I showed my wife and she was impressed how it can get its feet so close to its head. I said it must do bird yoga!

WesternGuy · Jul 9, 2015

Kris, great photos as usual. I think the first one is my favourite. It sort of says - "Here I come!" :biggrin-93:

I wasn't aware that they would, given the appropriate circumstances, build nests on the ground - interesting.

WesternGuy

baturn · Jul 9, 2015

Great shots. Interesting narrative. Thanks Kris.

mnmcote · Jul 10, 2015

I love the Call!! Last Friday while out fishing with my son, we took a drive along a power line beside a Dam and spotted 4 Osprey nests on top of power poles along the route... I actually saw an Osprey swoop down and literally take another Osprey right off the pole. They both then flew off towards the water. The birds did seem a little bit nervous tho. Didn't sit still for long. I'd love to go back with the camera. I'll have to do a lil research to find a spot where I won't feel like I am making the birds nervous.. There's not a lot of cover along those power lines... But I do go on...

As always.. Great shots!!