Osprey Sighting

On Saturday I went for a walk because it was a lovely day.  I saw a couple of loons on the lake as I walked, and wished I had taken my camera, but I don't really like taking the camera for exercise walks because it's too cumbersome.  As I neared home, I saw a large bird of prey slowly flying overhead, and then I noticed it was holding something.  I wasn't sure, but I thought it had a fish (from the same lake where the loons were, most likely).  At that point, I realized that it was probably an osprey.

The osprey went over my head and then settled on a nearby utility pole to begin devouring the meal.  I ran (well, I jogged...well, I kind of walk-jog-walk-jogged) to the house to get the camera in the hope that I could get home, get the camera and run back to the pole before the fish was gone and the bird had flown.  It was the end of my walk and I was already a bit tired, but I put in the effort so that I could try to catch a few good photographs of this wonderful bird.

As you will see from the pictures below, I wasn't disappointed!  He saw me coming, but he didn't seem disturbed by my presence because he kept eating his meal with gusto.

Chow down!

I was very glad to have such a good zoom lens and the ability to crop these pictures and still have decent images.  I think, given my burst of energy, my hands were shaking a bit.

He did look at me from time to time as he ate.

Maybe he thought I would make a good dessert? 

I also managed to get a picture showing the stripes under his tail feathers that are characteristic of the osprey.

I was so excited to have the opportunity to watch, and photograph, such a majestic and captivating bird.  An unexpected bonus as a result of going for my walk!