Feeling an egg beginning to shift, she stood up to find the first of her young starting the process of hatching. After a long arduous process, the baby Osprey exits the protective shell. Defenseless at first, this young Osprey, one of three eggs laid by its mother several days apart, will grow into a slim and long-winged raptor that will feed nearly exclusively on fish.
I think back to the day when I saw my first Osprey. I was in my front yard photographing some of the yard birds when I looked skyward to see this large bird soaring above me during a warm summer day. Having no idea of what it was, I took a series of images, had them printed, and took the best shots to school where I asked my professor, Dr. Noble Proctor, noted expert in the field of ornithology, what the bird was. Confirming it as being an Osprey, from that moment on, I was hooked after learning about this magnificent raptor's history.
Last year, Osprey Nation was formed through the Connecticut Audubon Society to gather data on fledgling success rates and to locate where Ospreys were nesting. This program is open to anyone interested in helping find and monitor Osprey nests since these birds serve as a way of monitoring the health of the local environment and to continue to assure this species does not suffer decline as it did before. Please consider joining the monitoring program.
Connecticut Audubon Society "Osprey Nation" 2014 report http://www.ctaudubon.org/2015/02/osprey-nation-2014-final-report/#sthash.lX6BvWSe.dpbs
All About Birds - Osprey http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/id