Ospreys Nesting

Ospreys Nesting

I posted a photo of this family on April 26, if you want to see how much they've grown. I believe the one on the left is one of the chicks and the parents are in the middle and on the right. They only thing that leads me to believe that this is the chick is the one on the left has yellow eyes, while the other two have orange eyes. In the other post, there were 2 chicks and they were both still fuzzy at the time. Now this chick is nearly the same size as his/her parents. I have no idea where the other one is, maybe it's fledged???

Ospreys (Pandion halliaetus) are raptors in the Hawk and Eagle family. They are rather large birds with a wing span of 5ft, 6in and they are 23 inches in length from tail to head. The dark line through their eye is a  good identifying factor. They hover just before they dive for a fish and can be seen flying with the fish head first in their talons, once they catch their fish.

They are resident year long in Florida and can be found near any body of water where they can fish for food. Their diet consists almost exclusively of fish.

Another Mystery Bird

This bird is a female Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), I think. I'm looking for someone to confirm or correct me on this one.

I love how she's gathering most likely nesting material or possibly food; but my guess is on the nesting material. She's a cute little bird whatever she is.

Red-winged Blackbirds run in flocks with other Blackbirds, therefore are abundant in marshes and fields, which is where I photographed this one.

They breed pretty much all over the United States. Each pair produces 2 to 3 clutches a year. They build a new nest for each clutch.

Loggerhead Shrike

Well here it is the second day of January, and I didn't get out with my camera again today. My New Year's Resolution isn't going very well, is it? At least so far I'm completing half of it. It's my second day blogging this year.

This Loggerhead Shrike was photographed during a photowalk at the Roosevelt Wetlands Preserve. It was the first time we went there and I couldn't believe how many birds we saw there. The best part is it's local so I didn't have to travel far to get there.

Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovictianus) can be found in grasslands, orchards and open areas. It feeds on insects and smaller prey like small birds and mice. It usually impales them on a thorn or a barbed wire fence to facilitate eating later on. That's how it got its nickname, "Butcher Bird".

Boat-tailed Grackle

I finally found the secret to getting a decent capture of this bird. I've been trying to photograph these Boat-tailed Grackles for years, and if I could show the eye, then I'd loose the iridescence of his plumage. The secret is, I think, to photograph them on a cloudy day. At least that's what I did this time.

Anyone that knows me knows I love anything iridescent. My favorite gemstone is the Opal, my favorite sea shell stone is Abalone and as you can see, I love the iridescence in the plumage of birds. The Grackle is one of my favorites.

I'm happy with the way I captured this bird. Everything I hoped to capture was captured without the need for a lot of post processing. It's a great way to end a day of photographing nature with my friends. One can't ask for anything more in life.