While we’ve had colder temperatures lingering for a little longer than average this spring, it doesn’t stop nature and the migratory residents we enjoy every summer. One of my personal favorite raptors to observe and photograph, the Osprey, is one such visitor. The earliest arrivals showed up a few weeks ago out on the eastern wetlands, and it likely won’t be much longer before the mountain folk arrive.

These stunning members of the hawk family spend their winters as far south as the Brazilian rainforest and enjoy summers as far north as nearly to the Arctic Ocean. The main preference for their choice of home is what helps to make them unique, as Ospreys are the only raptor in North America that lives nearly exclusively on fish. While many species of raptors enjoy the art of fishing, all others diversify their diets to include other birds, rodents and larger mammals.

While Ospreys have been observed very occasionally eating a bird, rodent, or even insects, it is understood that they only do so out of necessity. It is likely due to a lack of fish during migration. Whether along a coast, or deep in a landlocked state far from any ocean, if there is a large enough body of water to dive into and an ample supply of fish, you might just enjoy the sight of these birds.

Another bit of behavior that sets these master anglers apart is their technique in fishing. Most other raptors will tend to circle over a body of water and once a target is spotted, swoop down dipping their talons into the water to scoop out their prey in passing. Ospreys will also circle, however, when an ideal fish is spotted, they will hover briefly, then wheel over into a dive. As they rapidly descend, they tuck their wings and bring their talons forward with the sharp points doubling as little spears as they plunge fully into the water and onto the fish. This results in a good bit of splashing and commotion as they emerge from the waters and return to the air with a fish. The fish always seems to display a look of shock and confusion at this quite sudden and wildly unexpected change of scenery.

A final bit of flair to the process is one of practicality, but also adds to the visual aesthetic of the pair as they head to a perch or nest for dinner. This is the maneuvering of the fish into a headfirst position, making it more aerodynamic for the “funeral flight” to its demise. While the fish might be caught in all manner of facing due to the wild dive, the bird will always shift its prey into position before making its ascent. Wide-eyed in awe and mouth agape, the fish always appears in my imagination to be belting out “I Believe I Can Fly” or some other relevant song of soaring as they flap off into the sunset.

Locally we enjoyed the views of a mated pair living on the Boulder/ Gilpin County line across from the Kelly Dahl camping entrance for many years. When they weren’t being harassed by the resident Bald Eagles, the couple reveled in our mountain summers of fishing the lake and watching sunsets over Baldy and the Indian Peaks Wilderness from their platform. Sadly, they didn’t return to their summer home in 2021, and I can only assume they came to the end of their days as the average lifespan in the wild is about 8-10 years.

That said, we still enjoy the presence of the species around our abundant water sources, as they have been observed flying over the reservoir and town, as well as out in our wilderness areas of Brainard Lake and beyond. If you happen to be near water and spot one circling overhead, have a seat and prepare to enjoy quite an amazing and masterful display of fishing from the air at its natural finest!

Additional information for this article came from https://www.audubon.org/ field-guide/bird/osprey#:~:text=A%20 very%20distinctive%20 fish% 2Dhawk, catch% 20fish% 20 in%20its%20talons.

For information about James DeWalt Photography, check out https:// jamesdewaltphotography.com.