Last Friday when I down at Dykes Marsh checking out the high levels of water on the Potomac River, I walked over by the Belle Haven marina to see if the Osprey that I saw on 4 March was back in the area. Low and behold, he or she was. Not only was the Osprey in the area, it had decided to build a nest about 10 yards offshore. I sat at the picnic table right next to landing and watched the Osprey hard at work. It would fly into the woods and get some sticks and fly back to the nest it was building. I watched for about 30 minutes and then decided not to bother the Osprey anymore.
If a person is in the Northern Virginia area and wants to see an Osprey in the wild close up, this is the place to do it at. Please be kind and let the bird work.
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| Osprey working |
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| Working on the nest |
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| Gives you an idea of the size of the nest |
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| I love the sharp claws...beware! |
A stunning bird to see. I saw my first in Scotland in 1992. A day I will never forget.
ReplyDeleteA fabulous species that I only get to see on migration ... if I'm lucky. Great shots Steve.
ReplyDeleteExcellent photos! I dont want to mess with those talons--yesterday I was parking my car at Santee--an osprey flew by with a huge bass in his talons and he was being harrassed by about 5 others..by the time I got parked, grabbed my camera they had disappeared into the haze---grrr
ReplyDeleteLovely photos and how great to see the bird building its nest. I've seen ospreys sitting on nests but never one actually building a nest.
ReplyDeleteTerrific shots of a bird we love in the uk, but rarely get to see.
ReplyDeleteA real treat.
A stunning set of photos. Beautiful and well done.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic look of an Osprey at work. What a wonderful opportunity you have to get some wonderful looks at the secret life of Ospreys!
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