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osprey

Birds of Prey: Osprey and Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

February 6, 2018 by Ole 5 Comments

My wife spotted an osprey today at Lake Mathews, so I went back with my camera to see if I could get a few pictures. When I arrived, I saw what appeared to be a big bird on a rock in the middle of the lake, but it was too far away for my lens. After I got home and zoomed in on the pictures, I realized it was a bald eagle, not the osprey. Yes, a bald eagle at Lake Mathews.

Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews
I eventually found the osprey…

Osprey at Lake Mathews

Osprey at Lake Mathews

Osprey at Lake Mathews
Osprey at Lake Mathews
Osprey at Lake Mathews
Osprey at Lake Mathews

We saw bald eagles at Lake Mathews once before back in January 2016:

Bald Eagle at Lake Mathews

We saw two eagles that day, but we could only get close enough to one of them to get any decent pictures. Unfortunately, we were still too far away to get good pictures. Hopefully that will change some day.

Additional info…

Some facts about bald eagles:

Distinguished by a white head and white tail feathers, bald eagles are powerful, brown birds that may weigh 14 pounds and have a wingspan of 8 feet. Male eagles are smaller, weighing as much as 10 pounds and have a wingspan of 6 feet. […]

Bald Eagles live near rivers, lakes, and marshes where they can find fish, their staple food. Bald Eagles will also feed on waterfowl, turtles, rabbits, snakes, and other small animals and carrion. […]

Bald Eagles may live 15 to 25 years in the wild, longer in captivity.

Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Excerpts from the American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act:

The Congress finds as follows:
(1) The bald eagle was designated as the national emblem of the United States on June 20, 1782, by our country’s Founding Fathers at the Second Continental Congress.
(2) The bald eagle is the greatest visible symbol of the spirit of freedom and democracy in the world.
(3) The bald eagle species is unique to North America and represents the American values and attributes of freedom, courage, strength, spirit, loyalty, justice, equality, democracy, quality, and excellence.

Source: American Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem Commemorative Coin Act

Some facts about ospreys:

The osprey (Pandion haliaetus)—also known as the sea hawk, fish eagle, river hawk or fish hawk—is a large raptor, reaching more than 24 inches in length with a wingspan of up to 71 inches. As its other names suggest, the osprey’s diet consists almost exclusively of fish—up to 99% fish. […]

The typical lifespan of an osprey is 7–10 years, though rarely individuals can grow to as old as 20–25 years.

Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Filed Under: Animals Tagged With: bald eagle, lake mathews, osprey

Belted Kingfisher, Red-Winged Blackbird and Osprey

March 14, 2016 by Ole 2 Comments

My wife has a knack for spotting interesting birds.

In addition to the bald eagles she found a few months ago, she has spotted a tagged turkey vulture and an osprey while driving over the Lake Mathews dam.

I had a camera with me yesterday when she pointed out some birds, so we stopped to take a few pictures. We aren’t bird experts, so please let me if I found the wrong names on the Internet.

Female Belted Kingfisher:

Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher

Male Red-winged Blackbirds:

Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird

I took the pictures above with a point and shoot camera. Unfortunately, I didn’t even have that with me when we saw an Osprey last December.

Osprey at Lake Mathews

Osprey at Lake Mathews

Filed Under: Animals Tagged With: belted kingfisher, birds, lake mathews, osprey, red-winged blackbird

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