The Magnificent Osprey

     Isn't it interesting to know that all birds are descended from ancestors that could fly. Also, in our present generation, consider that any animal with feathers is a bird even though it is unable to fly. It's strange when during the evolution of birds dating back to the Jurassic period, 150 million years ago, there was a bird linked to a dinosaurian anatomical characteristic of having a reptilian shape with feathers and teeth. Extinction is a natural process of evolution. Birds lost their teeth and because of their environment, took hundreds of new shapes that adapted to the current conditions.

    The osprey, a most cunning bird of prey—a raptor—is a culmination of evolution having the ability to survive by escaping enemies, hunting and capturing food, and protecting its eggs and hatchlings. An osprey is like an eagle, they build nests on tall posts, trees, or man-made platforms. However, this does not protect them from their worst enemy—severe environmental conditions of wind, rain, and lightning. They have a strong hooked bill, taloned feet that recurve backward, and sharp spiny scales on their feet that form a rough, spiked surface for gripping the elusive meat of their choice; wiggly-slippery-slimy fish. It's astonishing to watch an osprey hover over the water and suddenly make a speedy feet first swooping dive. Hitting the water so fast they seem to disappear beneath the surface. Miraculously they reappear with a fish in their talons and immediately arrange the fishes head to be in the direction of flight. As it heads home, notice body and wings are shook to remove excess water after the dive. In bird talk, a thin shrill whistle communicates to their mate, "I'm bringing home the bacon, but I hit the water so hard I need a Tylenol for my headache."

    A mile from their raptor partner their distinctive piercing yellow eyes spot the basket shaped nest, a mess of straggly branches with some of them hanging two or three feet down or away from the nest. Both the male and female may have memory of their previous mating; usage of the same nest, and piled with more miscellany(such as cloth material, kids soft toys, and new twigs.} "its like sprucing up an old apartment." Usually in the pile of sticks are three eggs and later on they are blessed with some newly hatched chicklets. A hatch of three babies will eat six pounds of fish a day. If fishing is poor, the male will require hours of hovering to spot enough prey to feed the female. She then regurgitates her food to feed her rug-rats. When the young have developed feathers they are encouraged to leave the nest by withholding all food. A "Phooey on you" by the kicked out babies shrills out as they find another nest with parents who will feed them a meal or two before realizing---they have been had again.

    The female is the larger of the two with a wing span of six feet. She has to be the dominant of the two to control the feistiness of the male. These birds are a beautiful blackish brown above and its undersides are predominately white with the exception of an irregular spotted dark band below the neck and across the breast. A dark brown mask-like cheek patch is also visible. The osprey evolved from the past to become a most stunning bird of prey, streamlined, powerful and a no nonsense fighter if threatened by danger.

Watch through binoculars after they catch a large fish and you will see them grin as they return to the nest.