May 30, 2010 - Osprey in Flight

I recently attended a wonderful photography workshop in Florida. It was led by Jim Neiger http://www.flightschoolphotography.com/ and the focus was on techniques for getting better flight shots of birds. I learned a lot and here are some of my favorite images.

Each morning we were at a lake with over 500 pair of nesting Ospreys. This one just landed in a large cypress tree. The shot was taken right after sunrise and captures that beautiful, soft, early morning light.

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This Osprey is using its wings to slow down right before it lands.

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Even though nesting season is coming to an end, Ospreys keep adding material to their nests. This one is carrying some Spanish moss.

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Ospreys are mainly fish eaters. We didn’t see them actually catching the fish but we did see many of them bringing fish back to their nests.

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Here’s a tricky maneuver: trying to land on a branch while grasping a big fish in one foot.

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Here’s an interesting head-on view of an Osprey coming in for a landing.

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This Osprey is coming in for a landing next to its mate.

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