The Struggle!

She tried to emerge from the ocean, but the weight of her catch pulled her under.  Here she is re-emerging— now for the second time in less than 5 seconds!  Her white feathers are remarkably bright here, thanks to the morning Sun— and the spot I chose on the Jetty from which to capture the hunt.

Desperate Stare!

She tried again to take off, but her heavy catch brought her under yet again.  Her eyes were barely above the water.  Then, the current and the struggle turned her towards me as she re-emerged.  So here we are exchanging gazes— both wondering about the outcome.  This is incredible!  It’s just 8 seconds after she first hit the ocean.

Catch Revealed!

I LOVE this photograph!  Less than a second after my last photo, she is summoning the courage to take flight.  We finally see why this was no ordinary Osprey catch.  I estimate this Fluke (also known as Summer Flounder) to be a foot long, which means it’s over a year old, and could weigh more than a pound.  I’d just eaten Fluke when we went out to dinner the night before.  Yummy!  

Clearly, this was an epic hunt.  My photo captures all the energy.  Adult female Ospreys weigh over 4.5 pounds.  She is surrounded by the spray from her nearly 6 foot wingspan flapping.  You can’t miss the determination in her piercing eyes.  Her mouth is open— double-breathing with the unique trait birds have of maximizing air flow through their lungs, air sacs, and hollow bones, then recirculating a second time to optimize oxygen into their bloodstream.  What a spectacular moment!

Wingspan!

Less than a second later, I caught her wings fully extended for maximum thrust.  Notice the large splash trailing behind her— indicating her forward momentum.  When photographing birds of prey, it’s all about their eyes.  This photo draws you in to those eyes, as she looks right at me while flying right towards me.

The One That Got Away!

Less than a second later, I caught the moment she realized she had to let her heavy catch go.  Ospreys are very successful hunters, and the only bird of prey whose diet is exclusively live fish.  Research varies, but generally 1 in every 4 Osprey hunts is successful.  That’s a high success rate.  

There is so much vigor captured here!  I love the Osprey’s reflection in the ocean, plus all the spray after her wet feathers finally lifted into the air.

Did You See That?

As she flew away, she shook her wings to further dry them off, and lighten their weight.  This photo 4 seconds later shows her flying away and turning her head almost completely around to give me one last look— checking to make sure I experienced what she just went through.  Believe me, I documented every instant of that struggle.

These are the moments I treasure.  Through my lens, I see things few people see.  It is a rewarding gift.  

I was able to catch this entire Osprey hunt because I was ready with a fast shutter speed.  My zoom lens enabled me to close in on the action.  I photographed successful Osprey hunts that morning.   But this particular experience will resonate with me forever.  To be far enough away to not interfere with the hunt— yet be close enough through my 500mm lens to witness every aspect— was amazing!