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Observations & Images
31 January 2007
Nest Building

The male Osprey seemed a bit bewildered by the appearance of a large number of Robins that spent the afternoon in and around the nest trees. While the Robins and the Osprey largely ignored each other, the male Osprey mainly kept to himself on various perches where he could be seen watching the many interlopers. He was not observed working on the nests at all today.

THE NEIGHBORS

A River Otter came out of the water to bask in the warm sun during the chilly afternoon.
After a few minutes of sunbathing, the Otter returned to the water where he spent the next hour or so foraging for food in the immediate vicinity.
One of the hundreds, if not a thousand or more, of Robins that spent the afternoon in and around the trees favored by the Ospreys.
The birds were gorging themselves not only on the seeds of palm trees like this Robin but also on the dense bunches of brilliant red seeds from the many Brazilian Pepper trees in the area. The Robins won't be doing anyone a favor by spreading the seeds of that invasive plant far and wide.
An eerie, Hitchcockian atmosphere sometimes pervaded the afternoon with the great number of Robins everywhere.
They are beautiful birds but they fly so fast they are hard to photograph in flight.
The reddish-orange feathers are quite distinctive.
A spectacular surprise visitor was this Bald Eagle.
The Eagle flew right up into the tree where the male Osprey is trying to build a new nest.
Luckily, the Osprey was absent when the Eagle made its appearance.
After a five minute stay or so the Eagle took flight again.
The Eagle was in view for quite some time as it flew off finally to disappear over the Indian River Lagoon.
A tiny Yellow-Rumped "Myrtle" Warbler.
Comparing the beer bottle to the Warbler reveals just how small the bird is.
Though not as numerous as the Robins, a flock of Cedar Waxwings spent the afternoon in the area as well.
 
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OspreyWatch by Bob Montanaro
www.lunarcabin.com - - - - www.ospreywatch.org