I’m sure this juvenile Osprey worked hard for the fish but what looked to me like a rookie mistake cost it a meal.
And speaking of rookie mistakes I made a few of my own with this bird. I won’t go into most of the details of why but they involved the intricacies of combining driving with photographing birds, awkward shooting angles out of my pickup window, an uncooperative power window, swapping lenses at inconvenient times and the panic that sets in when you know your bumbling is causing you to miss shots that could potentially be very interesting..
That panic combined with rushing caused me to stupidly forget to zoom from 300 to 400mm on the first two shots below and it shows in lack of image quality.
1/80, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 300mm, not baited, set up or called in
When the Osprey was landing here in the deep shade of trees in the mountains yesterday morning we could see a fish in its talons but by the time I got my lens on the bird the fish was hanging over a short, broken branch sticking out from the tree. I’m quite sure that at this point that rear talon of its left foot wasn’t penetrating the fish.
Why the bird let go of the fish I just don’t know – youthful naiveté? Perhaps the bird wasn’t particularly hungry at the moment. Or it’s even possible that problems with its right foot caused it to release the fish from its talons prematurely (more info on that possibility to follow).
The fish looks about as dead as it can get, right?
1/160, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 300mm, not baited, set up or called in
It wasn’t. It started flopping and soon fell to the ground before the Osprey could react.
At this point I switched to my 500mm lens.
1/320, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
The bamboozled Osprey looked down a few times (I’m sure it couldn’t see the fish on the ground because of all the leaves in the understory) and then it just looked… confused.
And speaking of confused, keep an eye on that right clenched foot as we proceed through the following photos. I still don’t know what was going on with that foot.
1/400, f/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
In what appeared to me to be a combination of youthful awkwardness and frustration over losing the fish the bird would often turn a little on the perch and open its wings, flapping them slightly but not attempting to take off. This photo is full frame (not cropped).
1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
Occasionally it looked down again. Here I’m not quite sure if it was looking at that right foot or in the direction the fish disappeared but I believe it was the latter. Notice the foot position.
1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
I felt some pretty intense empathy for the bird because it lost the fish but based on that engorged crop it sure wasn’t going hungry.
1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
This is one of the last shots I got of the bird before it took off. I botched the takeoff and flight shots because I had just switched back to my smaller lens again for possible takeoff and hadn’t quite been able to lock focus on the Osprey before it launched. Poop!
I took 303 photos of this bird over 9+ minutes and in not a single one of them after the fish fell was the right foot held in a “normal” position on the perch – it was always clenched and sometimes held fairly high off the branch. In several of those shots I could see the bottom of the foot fairly well and I could see no obvious injury.
I can only guess what was going on with that foot, if anything.
Ron
OK, Osprey has engorged crop. I feel bad for fish that died for nothing. 😢 (Well, except maybe to teach Osprey to STAB that thing!)
These are excellent pictures of Mr. Butterfingers (Buttertalons?) He does have that clueless look that can be either endearing or infuriating in students — depending on how many times you’ve gone over directions. 😉
“Clueless” – I remember that look from students and them trying to hide it but to me it was so very obvious. Sometimes it was because they were… well, clueless by nature but more often it was because they weren’t paying attention or they weren’t involved and trying. So many memories.
It kinda looks like the right foot is unclenched in the first two images. What a huge crop. Very interesting account.
Yes, I think it was too, Lyle. That’s why I said in my text “in not a single one of them after the fish fell” to try to make that as clear as I could. Thank you.
Nice shots Ron. I have an Osprey nest about a half mile from my house, and it seems as though half the cell towers here in the Puget Sound region have an Osprey nest on them. I’m not sure an Osprey would pick up something from the ground, especially a juvenile. I spend lots of time trying to photograph Ospreys in their dives for fish and I have never seen an Osprey take anything but a live fish from the water, which of course doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. I suppose there is also the possibility that the parents are still bringing in fish and it thinks fish only come from parents. Even after the chicks fledge the parents will bring in fish which the young will then carry off to eat, although it is getting late enough in the season the adults will be leaving soon if not already. I am observing a nest where one of the chicks has a severely crossed bill (photos sent to the Alaska Science Center for AKD) and as of last week the female was still bringing in fish for it. Also, I just checked my records and on 9/5 an adult brought a fish to my local nest which a chick then flew off with.
You mention an interesting possibility, John. I just don’t know. I saw no other Osprey in the area and I’ve only seen this single bird the one time yesterday and I’ve been going to the area all summer. I know there are Osprey a few miles away though…
As I scroll down through the comments I am very glad to read that the foot is probably ok.
And noting that crop, it probably couldn’t have eaten even a ‘wafer thin morsel’ anyway.
Yet another fascinating start to my day. Mega thanks.
Thank you, EC. That bird had to be stuffed.
Thank you, Mr. Creosote! 😉 I totally read that with John Cleese’s accent. LOL
Oh EC, you’d be SHOCKED to know just how much they can stuff into that crop! There have been times when Mariah could beat out Dolly Parton, wings down expanding that crop up over the tops of her wings (when sitting). I was amazed! 🙂
When I first moved to Wyoming, I was shocked to find a nesting pair of osprey near the Tongue River. I thought they were only near the ocean! Oh how wrong I was. Throughout that spring and summer, they treated me to raising their young as they put on regular seminars on how that fishing thing is DONE! 🙂
I wouldn’t worry about that foot. It can sometimes take a while for that ratchet thing to let go if they think they have (or should have) something edible in that foot. And it’s not unusual for them to take a while to come to the conclusion that the foot is indeed empty!!
With that bulging crop, however, I wouldn’t worry about that osprey, either.
Personally, I’m not much of a fan of computerized cars, at least until they come up with one for birders that also deals with the whole traffic issue!! How annoying it is that other folks expect us to keep driving when there’s a bird opportunity! I mean, REALLY!! LOL!
Laura, I can’t tell you how many times driving has kept me from getting really good shots. On the other hand, in my area using a vehicle as a mobile blind is the best way to go, more often than not.
Ron, I remember the day I saw a redtail in a stoop after a mallard. I nearly wrecked the Jeep getting stopped before I could get the binocs to confirm my ID! Thankfully, that was in Wyoming between Sheridan and Ranchester where there wasn’t a whole bunch of traffic–only a ditch.
IF we’re going to do these smart cars, they’ve got to be smart enough to help birders!! Otherwise, what’s the point? LOL!! Overall, I’m terrified of computerized cars (and refrigerators) based on my experience with computers!!!
Nice shooting, Butch.
Thanks, Martha. Haven’t been called Butch for a while…
Ron, I wanted to add that when a fish or stick is dropped to the ground, they do not go after it. Unless the bird is really hungry then it may happen. Happy Face.
Both of your Osprey tidbits are things I didn’t know, Trudy. I don’t have a lot of experience watching Osprey behavior. However I also wondered about the possibility of bumblefoot. I have a knowledgeable FB friend who says Osprey are prone to getting bumblefoot.
Ron, those are really great pictures of the Osprey. I watch two nests in Missoula, Mt. Some of the young have already left the area headed to Texas for the winter. Wonder if this is one from nests. One nest the birds are banded. I think the foot is just fine. The Osprey do close a foot when they are resting on a branch or in the nest. So all is good. Love those Osprey. Thanks
Great shots. I worry about that foot. Unless he had some tiny thing we can’t see (I don’t think so), it seems that he should have released it. Maybe he pierced his own foot on a missed grab? Nah, there’d be blood. A mystery!
We’ll probably never know for sure, Arwen.
Super series Ron! Looks like that foot may have a problem.
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
Great shots Ron. I’m wondering whether the right clenched talons is an instinctive/perceived reaction to the lost fish? At any rate your images are excellent and the story line interesting. I don’t happen to know off-hand whether Ospreys tend to go after what they may have dropped, tend to think the don’t, therefore don’t think they have the behavioral reaction to go after what they dropped.
Have to agree with you and Suzanne. My memories of my freshman Bio classes very similar!
I don’t think they do go after dropped fish, Dick. Ahhh, memories of those freshmen bio kids…
Nice shots Ron especially with the wings spread. Was the tree over the water or ground? If over ground wonder why he didn’t drop down and pick it up again? Obviously of over water the fish was gone. As you say he did not look too worried about going to find another one.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Everett, there’s a small stream near the tree but I don’t think it’s directly beneath the Osprey’s perch. Knowledgeable folks say that Osprey’s general don’t try to retrieve dropped fish.
How wonderful that you were able to capture this series! I love watching Osprey fly with fish, and will never forget the first time I ever saw that. The only thing I can think of for the clenched right foot is that it was doing what it should have done before the bird dropped the fish, perhaps practicing how to hold on?
Thank you, Susan. Who knows…
Wonderful series, Ron even if you had some “goofs” along the way! Hopefully the Osprey’s foot is OK and it doesn’t just have it clenched thinking it still had hold of something it just can’t see! 😉 Beautiful bird with priceless expressions! We were waiting for a young, bragging, Bald Eagle on top of a power pole to lose it’s catch one day with magpies flying around and a coyote waiting at the base of the pole! It didn’t. Great suggestion from Mikal yesterday on toning down the twig….. 🙂
Thanks, Judy. I agree, Mikal’s suggestion is my best option for that image.
“panic that sets in when you know your bumbling is causing you to miss shots” – ain’t that the truth! Fun series to start my day – TY Ron 🙂
We’ve all been there, haven’t we, Zaph. And the word “panic” isn’t overstating it. Thanks.
That juvenile osprey’s face is just so priceless in its confusion. Every Freshman on the first day of high school, right there. Thank you for starting my teaching week off with a smile.
“Every Freshman on the first day of high school, right there”
Boy, do I ever remember that look from my freshmen, Suzanne! Brings back lots of (mostly) good memories. I’m glad you’re starting out the week with a smile.