Eagle replaces Osprey?

Who knows why, but the osprey have moved on.

It has been 10 days since I last saw the osprey building a nest, just upriver from here. Unfortunately, they seem to have given up and sought a better location. I saw one osprey, in flight, over the weekend – but not near the nest. One day, when I went to investigate, I found this fellow sitting in a nearby tree. I imagine eagles and osprey compete for territory – they both dine primarily on fish, especially when living alongside a river – and so the osprey may have been pushed out.

Bald eagle – and a small songbird – in a snag along River Road.

Notice the small, dark bird above and to his left. They both sat in contented companionship for tens of minutes, while I watched.

It was a beautiful day and I snapped a couple of other photos while hanging out in hopes the osprey might return.

Cardinal, on a tree along the river, near home.
Canada geese along the river near home.
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Author: dfkotz

David Kotz is an outdoor enthusiast, traveller, husband, and father of three. He is also a Professor of Computer Science at Dartmouth College.

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