Osprey on Display

Now that my gallery exhibit is printed and hanging, the opening is over and the house chores are underway, I finally have time to photograph.   I have had a great week so far.   The stars of my latest adventures have been a local family of osprey.   The chicks have recently fledged.   One of them still has trouble flying.   It takes off like a drunken sailor and looks like it will crash at any moment, but it is quite able to scare the heck out of the local seagulls!

This family hangs out between four locations; their nest, two dead trees and some old pier pilings.  So long as I stay low and quiet, the osprey do not mind my presence.   The adult male is an excellent hunter.  On my first visit he brought home a nice striped bass to his fledglings.   I was thrilled to catch him in the act even if he had his back turned towards me.   He was exhausted and panting heavily from his efforts.   I often see him flying far out over the ocean in search of prey.  Sometimes he heads inland to a local pond.  While he is out, the female always stays in the neighborhood to keep a watchful eye on her youngsters.

I have enjoyed watching these magnificent birds on three separate occasions.   It is nice to see that the osprey population is reestablishing itself since the DDT disaster of the 1960's when more than 90% of the population was lost.   These osprey fledglings have been banded already, showing that local biologists are well aware of them.   They are approximately two months old and should start hunting on their own pretty soon.

My latest exhibit, "The Glory of Massachusetts" will be on display at the Great Ponds Gallery in the Lakeville Library until the end of August.  This exhibit features nearly 30 of my favorite images from across Massachusetts.  Click here to find out more information http://blog.greglessardphotography.com/2013/07/the-glory-of-massachusetts-exhibit.html