Hunting is banned in Lovers Key State Park unless, of course, you're an osprey. As it turns out, ospreys adore this park. I spotted at least half a dozen nests lining the beach less than 30 yards from the Gulf of Mexico. (Apparently, they subscribe to the adage 'location, location, location'.) They can sit in a tree high above everything, then soar a very short distance to hunt for some sushi. This handsome fellow cruised right overhead as he was heading out to look for dinner. Those intense yellow eyeballs and sharp beak are rather formidable, wouldn't you say?
8 comments:
So glad I am not under his formidable eyes and that huge wing span. Super photo, and words to add, very special.
Quite a predator!
Terrific capture, SRQ. Sometime you should go on a sunset cruise in Rookery Bay with the Conservancy of SWFL. There are an amazing number of osprey nests down there. Your osprey shot is better than the ones I got when I took that cruise.
You asked what happened to my long telephoto lens. It was weird. Worked fine just a few days before I went to Africa. First time I tried it there, it started to focus and the motor moved it in and out and couldn't focus. It got caught in a loop of in and out and no focus. I had to pull the battery out to stop it. Tried a few times and got the same thing. Once I got a message saying no communication between lens and camera and I should clean the connections. I tried but was not successful, so I will wait until back in CT to go to a photo shop there and see what they can do. Fortunately, I take big files, and we were often pretty close to the game, so in most cases cropping got my pictures good enough to show online (but not good enough to print large).
The talons alone would make me keep my distance. It is a wonderful capture.
Wow! That's intense!! Fabulous!
Stunner! Glad I'm not a fish today though.
Beautiful detail on this one!
Gorgeous shot!! You really captured this beauty. (And yesterday's shot is wonderful, too.)
I don't see ospreys often though I saw a couple in California recently. Unfortunately, both were well out of range.
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