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Observations & Images
27 February 2006
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| A strange female Osprey made an appearance over the nest today. She hovered briefly seeming to examine it. |
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The resident female Osprey flew quickly back into the nest from her nearby perch at the appearance of the female stranger. Here she is seen watching the interloper from the nest. Neither bird challenged the other and the newcomer female flew off allowing life in the nest to return to normal. |
| The male Osprey returned bringing part of a fish to his mate. It is common for male Ospreys to eat half of a catch and, after they have had their fill, bring the rest back for the female to feed on. |
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While the female ate on a nearby pine tree, the male worked on the nest. |
| Tired of working on the nest, the male Osprey flew to a limb near the female. He then held his wings open to dry his wet feathers acquired from fishing in the Indian River Lagoon. |
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After the female finished eating, both birds returned to the nest. Here the female is shown about to land on her favorite perch overlooking the nest. |
| The male flew off to gather more nesting material. |
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The female, as she usually does when the male is away, frequently cried out in loud, piercing tones. |
THE NEIGHBORS
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| The Otter is now almost a daily visitor to the nest area. |
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Today the Otter spent over an hour catching things to eat, one of which may be seen in his mouth here, and was still at it when I left for the day as night set in. |
| A newcomer makes an appearance in the neighborhood today. A female Raccoon came out of the dense brush and slowly ambled toward the water. Raccoons are also a potential predator of concern for the Ospreys as they are known to raid nests for the eggs. |
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The Raccoon would often stop and scan the area while on its hind legs. |
| Once at the water's edge, the Raccoon was startled by the sudden surfacing of the Otter judging by the expression on her face. The Raccoon ran off but soon appeared again. |
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After a short while, the Raccoon appeared again crossing the road heading toward the Indian River Lagoon. |
| Another view of the Raccoon shortly before disappearing into the brush on the opposite side of the road. |
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