Saturday, April 21, 2012

Two Ospreys


While driving from the Retreat yesterday, I came across in Sumpter a nest with two ospreys. I don't know if they were young, or a mother and a baby, but they seemed to be both fully grown. They may not be as spectacular as the bald eagle, but they are beautiful animals nonetheless.

The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), sometimes known as the sea hawk, fish eagle or fish hawk, is a diurnal fish-eating bird of prey. It reaches more than 24 in length and 71 in across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts, with a black eye patch and wings. The Osprey tolerates a wide variety of  habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all continents except Antarctica although in South America it occurs only as a non-breeding migrant. 
As its other common name suggests, the Osprey's diet consists almost exclusively of fish. It possesses specialized physical characteristics and exhibits unique behavior to assist in hunting and catching prey.

A close-up of the two ospreys at Sumpter, Oregon, April 20.

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