Some of the Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) that I spotted last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge seemed to be making early claims on the existing nests from last year, while others were simply perched on trees throughout the refuge. Mostly they kept their distance, though, so I had to be content with relatively distant shots of these recently returned raptors.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Great photos, Mike.
Nice to see them back, Mike–a sign of spring for sure! I like your image of the Osprey on a stump, something different than their usual perch.
Thanks, Ellen–yet another sign of springs for us. We have a bunch of broken-off trees thanks to some strong winds this winter. It was nice to be able to photograph an osprey at a somewhat lower level than usually. Normally they are perched high in the trees.
Is it just me or do those osprey look skinny?
They do look a little skinny, but they seem to be catching fish at a pretty good rate, from what I can see.