The thrill of Ospreys at Belle Haven Marina #2

Dyke Marsh Nature Preserve is an amazing place. I love the way Americans call their nature reserves nature preserves. A nature preserve sounds a little too much like Squirrel Jam to me.

Just off the moorings for the pleasure craft is a platform:

Osprey nest at Belle Haven Marina - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

On it is an untidy collection of twigs and sticks. It’s an Osprey’s nest.

Osprey nest at Belle Haven Marina - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

They are very attentive parents, with the male fishing for provisions and the female guarding the chicks, making alarm calls every time vultures appear and sheltering them any time the sun gets too strong. Here’s the male setting off on a fishing trip:

Osprey nest at Belle Haven Marina - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Those claws and that beak are absolutely stunning.

He’s gone for quite a while. It’s a test of my attention standing out here. The temperature is high, the sun is harsh and there’s nothing to keep my attention except the Potomac River, the sky and an occasional glimpse of a distant Osprey. It’s one of the reasons nature is so good for your mental health; you can live in the moment, aware of every little breeze, every ripple of a fish and every speck of an Osprey in the distance.

Then he’s back in a rush carrying a fabulous Catfish:

Osprey nest at Belle Haven Marina - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

He’s got it grasped by the talons of just one foot to make it easier to land:

Osprey nest at Belle Haven Marina - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The female calls to him:

Osprey nest at Belle Haven Marina - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It’s an amazing sight:

Osprey nest at Belle Haven Marina - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

He spreads his wings wide to brake his flight and pitch his landing:

Osprey nest at Belle Haven Marina - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

He’s safe, home, and with food for the family. It’s so heartwarming to watch them, unless you’re a Catfish.

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