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It is that time of year. The osprey are back and the sky is full of birds and the sounds of birds.
It was pretty windy so these are not the finest images, but you get the idea of how beautiful these birds are.
Last week I counted 13 birds at one time over my place. Talk about some noise!
Those are not jesses in two of the images below. That bird has one talon draped with eel grass, surely picked up after a dive for dinner.
Yesterday a neighbor of mine that lives across the street from a nest recounted a story from last year.
An adult returned from fishing and dropped a fish into the nest. Both well developed chicks grabbed onto said fish and a struggle for complete ownership ensued. After a while, both birds spilled out of the nest, each firmly grasping the fish in question. After a brief fall, they both started flying away, tethered as one by the none-too-happy fish. After more struggling in mid-air, one of the birds let go and the other bird took off to find a table for one to enjoy the prize.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
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Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
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Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)