Osprey

Osprey are fascinating birds. I have heard them called "Water Eagles" but my Sibley's book claims they are a unique species -- Pandion haliaetus.



We saw this osprey last winter on our trip to Rockport, Texas. We were able to watch it fly around for a while until it caught a fish.



Here's the "fish shot". On an earlier trip, I saw an Osprey dive into the water, fly back up about 30 feet, then shake off -- in the air -- like a dog. Unbelievable!

I work in Houston, and when I don't vanpool, I often take the Westpark Tollway. To the north of the tollway before you get to Beltway 8, there is a subdivision with huge homes and a "lake". I was surpised one day to see an Osprey perched on one of the light poles along the tollway. It was a bit confusing -- I know that Osprey like water and are most often seen around water, but there was a huge wall that hid the lake when I was inbound, so it took me a few trips to make sense of what I'd seen. It is sometimes amazing what birds you see in developed areas.