HOW TO CATCH FISH EFFECTIVELY, OSPREY-STYLE

July 24, 2015 by Rolling Harbour

Osprey (Abaco, Bahamas) – Tom Sheley

HOW TO CATCH FISH EFFECTIVELY, OSPREY-STYLE

I have featured the wonderful photography of Phil Lanoue before. He specialises in taking sequences of the larger birds, many of them as they hunt for fish: herons, egrets, anhingas – and ospreys. Here is a remarkable sequence of an osprey showing its fishing skills, with a surprise ending that I won’t give away.

Pretty cool trick, huh?

Credits: Header image – Tom Sheley; Osprey sequence – Phil Lanoue. Many thanks to both for use permission

EGRETS GREAT & SNOWY FOR SUNNY GREAT ABACO & SNOWY ELSEWHERE!

January 30, 2015 by Rolling Harbour

EGRETS GREAT & SNOWY FOR SUNNY GREAT ABACO & SNOWY ELSEWHERE!

There’s nothing to beat a superlative sequence of narrative photos taken by someone with great skill, a very good eye and an excellent camera (that’s me out of it, on all 3 counts). The two sequences below are from PHIL LANOUE, a highly experienced wildlife photographer who specialises in birds and… alligators (I’ll do the ‘taking snaps’ joke, thank you). He posts almost daily, and it’s a morning treat to see what he has captured on his salt marshes. Very often it is a compelling wildlife action sequence showing the trials and tribulations of bird territory sharing; or the joys and disappointments of fishing… the ones that get away!

GREAT EGRETS

You’ll soon see why the egret is taking flight – a rival is fiercely seeing him off, including an attempted leg or foot grab. That may not have succeeded, but I think he made his point…

SNOWY EGRET FISHING

You can tell that this bird is motionless while hunting – there are no ripples at all round its legs. That sharp beak is poised for the sudden, rapid strike. As it stabs down, it shows its distinctive yellow feet and leg markings. The fish emerges firmly gripped sideways, and is effortlessly flipped round for immediate consumption,

These are the sorts of pictures I would love to be able to take. Anyone would. But I am going to have to graduate to something a great deal more sophisticated than my trusty Lumix bridge camera and its fixed zoom extension. It has a Leica lens, which counts for a lot, but an upgrade to SLR is on the horizon. First I need to get stuck into some serious work on manual settings. I have a mountain to climb – I’m still hanging around Base Camp!

“ABACO’S GOT TALONS”: THE OSPREY

November 25, 2014 by Rolling Harbour

“ABACO’S GOT TALONS”: THE OSPREY

The magnificent Osprey Pandion haliaetus is one of the world’s most successful raptors and can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

On Abaco the Osprey is a permanent breeding resident, and while certainly not an ‘every day bird’, the chances of seeing one are reasonable. They are fairly often seen flying over the bay at Delphi, or out on the Marls. A pair recently nested at Sandy Point close to Nancy’s restaurant.

Ospreys, Abaco (Jim Todd)

There are few more exhilarating sights in the world of birds than an osprey swooping from a great height into the sea, emerging with a large fish held characteristically ‘fore and aft’ in its talons, and flying into the distance with heavy wing-beats. This wonderful close-up by wildlife photographer PHIL LANOUE shows an osprey that has actually managed to grab dinner for two…

This bird looks as if it is poised to dive onto some hapless fish Osprey in flight (Lake Wylie, S Carolina) - Gareth Rasberry

10 PANDION POINTS TO PONDER

Ospreys are also known as sea hawks, fish hawks or fish eagles. They are almost exclusively fish-eating
A mature adult’s wingspan may reach 6 feet
They are the only members of their taxonomic family, genus and species
Ospreys & owls are the only raptors with reversible outer toes to grasp prey firmly
They can carry fish weighing more than 4 lbs
They dive into water feet first to grab its prey; their nostrils can close up to keep out water
Osprey-watch.org is a global site for mapping osprey nest locations / logging nesting observations
A New Jersey group has designed the optimum artificial nest platform, now an accepted standard
Ospreys usually mate for life
Osprey populations in many areas have been affected by pesticides and by egg trophy-hunters

PUTTING THE ‘PREY’ INTO ‘OSPREY’
Osprey, Florida (Danny Sauvageau)

A utility post makes a perfect perch for a bonefish snack Osprey, Abaco (Woody Bracey) copy

CHECK OUT THE TALON…

The impressive wingspan of an Abaco osprey Osprey, Abaco (Craig Nash) copy

An osprey far out on the Marls. I managed to get some distance shots of it despite having a fishing rod in my hand… Osprey - Abaco Marls 1 Osprey - Abaco Marls 2

Osprey, by John James Audubon

The Osprey is a prolific symbol in national, cultural and sporting themes, and has been depicted on Bahamas stamps. And quite right too.

Wm Shakespeare Coriolanus

I think he [Coriolanus] will be to Rome
As is the osprey to the fish, who takes it
By sovereignty of nature…

Credits: Jim Todd (1, 3), Tom Sheley (2), Phil Lanoue (4), Gareth Rasberry / Wiki (5), Danny Sauvageau (6, 8), Woody Bracey (7), Craig Nash (9), RH (Marls pics) – thanks for all image use permissions