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| Ospreys (Fish Hawks 魚鷹) in Action |
In my bird watching trips, I have seen ospreys (i.e., fish hawks魚鷹) in action catching fish at several different
places, such as Cape May Point State Park in southern tip of New Jersey, USA , Edwin B. Forsythe National
Wildlife Refuge in southern coastal area of New Jersey, Meadowlands Environmental Center in Lyndhurst, New
Jersey, Susquehanna River in Maryland, Dutch Gap Conservation Area in Virginia, Ding Darling National Wildlife
Refuge on Sanibel Island in Florida Gulf (west) Coast, Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Maine and San
Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine, California. The pictures of ospreys in action at these locations that I took are
shown in the following.
places, such as Cape May Point State Park in southern tip of New Jersey, USA , Edwin B. Forsythe National
Wildlife Refuge in southern coastal area of New Jersey, Meadowlands Environmental Center in Lyndhurst, New
Jersey, Susquehanna River in Maryland, Dutch Gap Conservation Area in Virginia, Ding Darling National Wildlife
Refuge on Sanibel Island in Florida Gulf (west) Coast, Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Maine and San
Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine, California. The pictures of ospreys in action at these locations that I took are
shown in the following.
Two ospreys on their nest at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
Another view of the osprey in flight over the lighthouse pond in Cape May Point State Park at southern tip of
New Jersey
New Jersey
An osprey making a sharp turn over the lighthouse pond in Cape May Point State Park
2. Osprey Got a Fish
2. Osprey Got a Fish
魚鷹展翅飛翔英姿
An osprey in flight over the lighthouse pond in Cape May Point State Park in southern New Jersey,
USA when I visited that area in October 2005.
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Cape May Point State Park
An osprey in flight over the lighthouse pond in Cape May Point State Park in southern New Jersey,
USA when I visited that area in October 2005.
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Cape May Point State Park
An osprey starting to dive down into the lighthouse pond in Cape May Point State Park in southern New Jersey
An osprey diving down into the pond in Cape May Point State Park in southern New Jersey
An osprey diving down into the pond to catch fish in Cape May Point State Park
An osprey diving down into the pond to catch fish in Cape May Point State Park
After the splash, the osprey got the fish in its talons but stayed on the water surface in Cape May Point State
Park.
This is very different from the diving of the sea bird, Gannet, which dives as deep as 30 feet down into the
water and use its bill to catch fish deep down under the water as shown on my web pages at:
http://www.shltrip.com/Crossing_Delaware_Bay.html
http://www.shltrip.com/Bonaventure_Island_NP.html
Some gannets catch and eat the fish deep under the water before they re-emerge to water surface to avoid a
lot of hassle and competitions from many other gannets on the water surface.
Park.
This is very different from the diving of the sea bird, Gannet, which dives as deep as 30 feet down into the
water and use its bill to catch fish deep down under the water as shown on my web pages at:
http://www.shltrip.com/Crossing_Delaware_Bay.html
http://www.shltrip.com/Bonaventure_Island_NP.html
Some gannets catch and eat the fish deep under the water before they re-emerge to water surface to avoid a
lot of hassle and competitions from many other gannets on the water surface.
This osprey just got out of water with a fish in its talons at Cape May Point State Park.
Osprey and bald eagle use their talons to cat fish, then perch on a big tree and use their beaks to tear and to
eat the fish. But gannet, heron, egret, puffin, etc. use their bills to catch fish and to eat fish.
4. Osprey Hovering in Mid-Air Looking down for Fish in the Lake or River
Osprey and bald eagle use their talons to cat fish, then perch on a big tree and use their beaks to tear and to
eat the fish. But gannet, heron, egret, puffin, etc. use their bills to catch fish and to eat fish.
4. Osprey Hovering in Mid-Air Looking down for Fish in the Lake or River
An osprey with a big fish in its talons over the impoundments in Meadowlands Environmental Center in
Lyndhurst, New Jersey when I visited that area on September 4, 2006.
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Meadowlands Environmental Center
Lyndhurst, New Jersey when I visited that area on September 4, 2006.
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Meadowlands Environmental Center
Another view of the osprey with the fish over the impoundments in Meadowlands Environmental Center in
Lyndhurst, New Jersey
Lyndhurst, New Jersey
An osprey with a fish in its talons in Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island in Florida Gulf
(West) Coast when I visited that area in February 2004. When this osprey first got the fish at the far end of
the lake, there was a bandit big bird chasing this osprey to try to steal the fish. This osprey made a big detour
in its flight path to evade that bandit big bird. I did not know what that bandit big bird was (might be an eagle).
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Ding Daling National Wildlife Refuge
(West) Coast when I visited that area in February 2004. When this osprey first got the fish at the far end of
the lake, there was a bandit big bird chasing this osprey to try to steal the fish. This osprey made a big detour
in its flight path to evade that bandit big bird. I did not know what that bandit big bird was (might be an eagle).
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Ding Daling National Wildlife Refuge
An osprey on a post in Pend Oreille River along scenic Highway 20 in northeast Washington State after we
finished our tour of Canadian Rockies in August 2007 and was driving from Canadian rockies to Seattle in
Washington State.
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing Oreille River along Highway 20
More actions of osprey in action over the pond in Holmdel Park in New Jersey are on my Travelogue
web page at:
www.shltrip.com/More_on_Spring_in_Holmdel_Park.html
and over the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park when I was there in August 2008 as shown on
my web page at:
http://www.shltrip.com/Yellowstone_NP_Part_2.html
finished our tour of Canadian Rockies in August 2007 and was driving from Canadian rockies to Seattle in
Washington State.
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing Oreille River along Highway 20
More actions of osprey in action over the pond in Holmdel Park in New Jersey are on my Travelogue
web page at:
www.shltrip.com/More_on_Spring_in_Holmdel_Park.html
and over the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park when I was there in August 2008 as shown on
my web page at:
http://www.shltrip.com/Yellowstone_NP_Part_2.html
Several ospreys in the nest in Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge near Calais in Maine, USA.
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge
A movie clip of osprey in action can be seen at the following website of National Geographic:
http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/animals/video/osprey.html
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge
A movie clip of osprey in action can be seen at the following website of National Geographic:
http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/animals/video/osprey.html
Another view of the osprey with fish in its talons over Meadowlands in New Jersey
Many ospreys were hovering over the lighthouse pond looking for fish in Cape May Point State Park in October
2005.
October is the migratory season when many migratory birds, including osprey, are migrating south to warmer
climate. After being funneled down the narrow Cape May Peninsula to reach the Cape May Point, these
migratory birds face the severe challenge of flying over the 10-mile water of Delaware Bay between Cape May
Point on the New Jersey side and Cape Henlopen on Delaware side. Many ospreys pause their southward
migratory flight and linger in Cape May Point for a while to rest, to eat and to build up their strength before
crossing the Delaware Bay to continue their southward flight. Therefore, October is a good time for bird
watchers to see many ospreys concentrated and hovering over the ponds to catch fish in Cape May Point.
5. Ospreys on Nest
2005.
October is the migratory season when many migratory birds, including osprey, are migrating south to warmer
climate. After being funneled down the narrow Cape May Peninsula to reach the Cape May Point, these
migratory birds face the severe challenge of flying over the 10-mile water of Delaware Bay between Cape May
Point on the New Jersey side and Cape Henlopen on Delaware side. Many ospreys pause their southward
migratory flight and linger in Cape May Point for a while to rest, to eat and to build up their strength before
crossing the Delaware Bay to continue their southward flight. Therefore, October is a good time for bird
watchers to see many ospreys concentrated and hovering over the ponds to catch fish in Cape May Point.
5. Ospreys on Nest
An osprey hovering in mid air looking down for fish in the pond in Cape May Point State Park in southern New
Jersey
Jersey
The osprey dived into the water and made a big splash on the pond in Cape May Point State Park
We visited the Susquehanna River eagle watching parking lot near Conowingo Dam in northeast Maryland,
USA on April 5, 2007 and saw this osprey in flight with a fish in its talon. We also saw bald eagles in action
here.
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Conowingo Dam on Susquehanna River
More detailed information for watching many bald eagles near this parking lot near Conowingo Dam is available
on my web page at:
http://www.shltrip.com/Bald_Eagle_P_2.html
USA on April 5, 2007 and saw this osprey in flight with a fish in its talon. We also saw bald eagles in action
here.
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Conowingo Dam on Susquehanna River
More detailed information for watching many bald eagles near this parking lot near Conowingo Dam is available
on my web page at:
http://www.shltrip.com/Bald_Eagle_P_2.html
An osprey with a fish in its talons perching on a tree near Conowingo Dam on Susquehanna River in Maryland,
USA.
3. Diving Osprey to Catch Fish
USA.
3. Diving Osprey to Catch Fish
We visited the Dutch Gap Reservation Area along James River in Virginia on April 6, 2007 and saw this
osprey hovering over the lake looking down for a fish.
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Dutch Gap Reservation Area
osprey hovering over the lake looking down for a fish.
Map: Click here to see Google Map showing location of Dutch Gap Reservation Area
1. Osprey in Flight
Please press the F11 key on your keyboard to get full-screen view of photos and web page. Pressing F11 key
again will return to your normal screen with various tool bars.
again will return to your normal screen with various tool bars.
Another view of the osprey hovering in mid air looking down for fish in the pond