Presented picture of a Normal Osprey was taken by accident, and as I assume, during their fly by rather the area where they reside. Photographing at breeding ponds I suddenly saw a large silouette of a predator bird over my head. I have managed to take a picture only to ascertain myself that it is an osprey at home. This large predator is extremely outnumbered. It is estimated that there are only couple of tens of couples in Poland. In itself it is a hard object of affection of many nature photographers, not only because of its rarity. Generally, it fishes and to catch its flight on its multihectare fishing grounds can only be an accident rather than a planned and prepared photographing. I recommend other photo galleries with Ospreys, as they are beautiful birds. Its wingspan can reach up to 1.8 meters, whereas body mass does not exceed 2 kilograms. Ospreys can also be admired during the whole breeding season thanks to the estonian online cameras showing the life of those birds in their nest. Links below.
http://pontu.eenet.ee/player/kalakotkas.html
Last minute news - 12/2015 Costa Rica
There are many reasons why the trip to Costa Rica should be considered a very successful expedition. Besides the resplendent quetzal, of course, and a few species more, the pictures of osprey are cause for satisfaction. And that is because so far there was only one documentary photo in the osprey’s gallery for years. Such an amazing bird did not have a better portfolio on my website until I arrived to the coast of Costa Rica on the Pacific Ocean. While I was taking photos of pelicans, soaring osprey could be seen over and over again. Finally, I thought, that was an opportunity to change another documentary, one-photo gallery. Expeditions to the north of Europe to watch an osprey are quite costly and therefore the trip was postponed continuously. And here we had an unexpected meeting on the occasion of pelican and neotropic cormorant photo session. There were reasons to be delighted, but I knew that these were not yet the right pictures. I was pleased with the perspective of development of my gallery, but the next day what a big surprise awaited us. Before sunset we were sailing in the mouth of the river and I saw in a distance a black silhouette of a sitting bird. It was far away so I put the converter, took a photo and zoomed in on the screen to see what species of bird it was. Before I had not noticed an osprey that was sitting a little to the right of the cormorant, blended into the background. We came closer. The bird sat quietly and I took better pictures, but the light was not perfectly good yet. What was more important ospreys were calling each other and I could record their voices. This is just a treat, to have in the gallery the predator voice recording! But that is not the end of my story. We sailed further and in the perfect light of sunset we could see an osprey consuming a fish. It happened to me to take photos that capture duly charm and beauty of this bird. I thought it was enough, and here again after a while two contacts with ospreys. One accompanying pelicans and one alone, sitting on a dried branch, which soon flew away. Photos taken during all these meetings not only changed the osprey gallery on my website but created a new one in fact. The old documentary picture goes to the archive and the osprey gallery has changed beyond recognition.
Last minute news - 04/2017
When writing reports from Costa Rica I could not hide my satisfaction from the changes that took place in the osprey’s gallery. I do not know how to express my excitement of the weekend shooting of the bird while feeding on fish, because it was an amazing encounter with an amazing bird in an ordinary place, over one of thousands of Polish lakes. I have taken many dynamic pictures of this beautiful bird in its natural environment – by the lake, during the morning fishing. The gallery is not the same that it was earlier and probably will be one of the more interesting on my site. And all that thanks to Krzysztof, whom I cordially greet. I am thankful for creating such conditions for making observations and taking unusual pictures of animals of our fauna. I mean fauna, because there was not only the osprey... Shooting the bird took a few hours starting from sunrise, but sometimes only one hour can be enough. A bird which has taken several fish to satisfy its hunger is no longer fishing. As usually, it is needed to be lucky, to have quick reflexes, but this time in several attempts I was able to take a number of pictures that fully reflect the charm of this bird and create a unique gallery on my site. Ospreys accepted the human neighborhood, which this time was probably a blessing for these birds. Otherwise they would most probably be forced out by eagles, which are presumably the biggest threat to ospreys in the area.
Last minute news 05 – 2017
Actually the aim of this trip was the lesser spotted eagle. But, as eagles are said to appear more likely later than at dawn, then at sunrise we were again able to admire and capture the moments of fishing of an osprey. There have been some pictures replaced for more interesting ones, introducing diversity in the gallery.
Last minute news-03/2019 – Cuba
Every contact with this amazing bird has to be noted in the information, and when lucky enough illustrated with photos added to the gallery. This time, the pictures taken are not spectacular. They were taken when driving along the seashore, after leaving the car. Osprey hung over the water like a kestrel, then suddenly attacked. We have seen such situations several times. Unfortunately, it was not so easy to capture it. When the bird came to the conclusion that the attack would not be effective at this point, it suddenly flew about a hundred meters away and we watched the same situation over and over again. Such observations remain in the memory.
Last minute news-Ethiopia-12/2019
Last minute news-01/2022-Egypt
This should be written about. In Poland, it is a very rare species and difficult to photograph without a proper hiding place. Meanwhile, in Egypt what I saw after observing ospreys shocked me. I have seen ospreys in other countries, but there the birds were not that close and never accepted such close proximity to humans. There are several islands in the Egyptian Maldives (Hamata), actually islets. I saw an osprey nest on practically all of them, and this is where - on ground! We swam to one of these islands and it was possible to go down to it. The whole island could be walked around in a few dozen minutes, and there were three ospreys' nests on it. Amazing, unusual and I have included some pictures to illustrate this. Osprey got so used to humans that during our stay on the island (several dozen people) copulated. Another osprey sat on the dune and I slowly approached it, taking better and better photos. Eventually I got so close that the bird was in full frame and there was no point in reducing the distance any further. The bird watched me steadily and did not fly away. It was only a close meeting. You can see that undisturbed (other predators) are doing well on the islands, despite the presence of people, because there is crystal clear water around and thousands of fish under its surface. Isn't this an osprey's paradise?
Last minute news – 03/2022 Mexico
I didn't take any interesting photos of osprey in Mexico, but I have to write about common occurrence of this bird in Mexico, at least on Yucatan peninsula. I have seen it flying over a beach full of tourists. Its acceptance of humans is truly surprising. On one of the islands where a lot of tourists come, there was a place where you could prepare meals on the grill, and next to it a place to eat for several dozen people. This place was only protected by a roof on top of which (a few meters above the heads of tourists) had an osprey nest. It is amazing that the constant presence of humans at a distance of several meters does not prevent them from successfully breeding.
Last minute news-02-2023-Gambia
Last minute news 06-2023
The osprey gallery has been one of my favourites for some time now, a dynamic, interesting gallery. But as I often say, all galleries can be improved, added to, "do I have to improve" so the osprey gallery can also be improved even though it already belongs to my favourites. This is what happened this time too, I added some new dynamic osprey photos. This time it was more difficult, because there were not so many osprey raids as there were during my last encounter with this bird in the same place. An osprey can probably be photographed indefinitely, especially since it's not that easy to take pictures during a raid that lasts seconds. Not every raid always results in photographs. Each osprey attack is slightly different, in slightly different lighting conditions, and as if there were no time constraints, it is difficult to get bored in osprey photography. You don't want to believe that in Malta every hunter's dream is to kill an osprey in flight. Christopher's osprey is admired by dozens of people every year, if not hundreds. Much of the positive excitement of communing with nature for these nature lovers, can be destroyed, just because one, a lover of taking life, just has to shoot, kill. The birds that are killed in Malta often fall into the sea and that is how their lives end. A bird which in another part of Europe is protected, its habitat cared for, admired and fascinated by many people in another part can be killed with impunity. When will this end? For me it is a unique, wonderful bird and an encounter with an osprey should always be recorded in the news and an osprey goes into the news with some new photos
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Ethiopia 11/12-2019- introductory text- Prince Ruspoli's Turaco
NEW GALLERIES:
BIRDS:
1.Prince Ruspoli's Turaco (E,V,T). 2.Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse (T). 3.Arabian bustard(T). 4. Golden-breasted Starling. 5D'Arnaud's Barbet (V).6. Stresemann's Bush-Crow (E,V).7. White-cheeked Turaco (V). Temminck's Courser. 9. Cut-throat. 10.Somali Ostrich. 11.Straw-tailed Whydah(V). 12.Eastern Paradise-Whydah. 13Thick-billed Raven(E,V). 14.Sombre Chat (E,V). 15.Rouget's Rail (E). 16.Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling (V). 17.Yellow-fronted Parrot (E,V). 18.Narina Trogon (V). 19.Banded Barbet (E,V). 20.Black-winged Lovebird (E,V). 21 Black-headed Lapwing. 22. Somali Crow. 23. Chestnut-naped Francolin (E). 24.Yellow-breasted Barbet (V). 25.Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill. 26.Abyssinian Roller. 27.Abyssinian Owl. 28.African Wood-Owl. 29. Wattled Ibis (E). 30. Blue-winged Goose (E,T). 31.Cape Eagle-Owl(T). 32. Northern Carmine Bee-eater. 33.Black-throated Barbet (V). 34. Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark. 35. Spot-breasted Lapwing (E). 36.Abyssinian Siskin(E). 37.Rosy-patched Bushshrike. 38.Variable Sunbird. 39.Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike. 40.Madagascar Bee-eater. 41.Swainson's Sparrow. 42.African Thrush. 43.Eastern Plantain-eater. 44.Somali Fiscal. 45.Masked Shrike. 46.Lesser Grey Shrike. 47.Northern Black-Flycatcher (V). 48.Fan-tailed Raven. 49.Groundscraper Thrush. 50.Reichenow's Seedeater. 51.Moorland Chat. 52. Village Indigobird. 53.Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-Starling. 54.Plain-backed Pipit. 55.Pied Wheatear. 56.Little Weaver. 57.Shelley's Starling. 58.Red-bellied Parrot. 59.African Bare-eyed Thrush. 60.Rufous Chatterer. 61. Pearl-spotted Owlet. 62.African Black-headed Oriole (V). 63.White-crowned Starling. 64.Bare-faced Go-away-bird. 65.White-collared Pigeon(E). 66.African Pygmy-Goose. 67.White-rumped Babbler. 68. Blue-headed Coucal. 69.Mountain Gray Woodpecker. 70.Senegal Thick-knee. 71.Black Scimitar-bill. 72.Spectacled Weaver. 73.Double-toothed Barbet. 74.Black-billed Barbet. 75.Grayish Eagle-Owl. 76.Crimson-rumped Waxbill. 77.Little Rock-Thrush. 78.Northern White-faced Owl. 79.Rueppell's Weaver. 80.Striolated Bunting. 81.Abyssinian Ground-Thrush. 82.Crowned Hawk-Eagle. 83.Bronze Mannikin. 84.African Spotted-Creeper. 85.Yellow-bellied Eremomela.86.Grant's Woodhoopoe.
MAMMALS:1.Mantled gereza. 2.Grivet. 3.Aardwolf. 4.Sacred babon. 5.Beisa Oryx. 6.Soemmerring's gazele. 7.Mountain Nyala. 8.Unstriped Ground Squirrel. 9.Cape hare. 10.Desert Warthog.
REPTILES: Savannah monitor.
CHANGES in GALLERIES:
BIRDS:
1.Spur-winged lapwing(V). 2.Hooded Vulture(T). 3.Hamerkop(T). 4.Cape Crow(V). 5.Secretary-bird. 6.Crowned Lapwing(V). 7.Gray-headed Social-Weaver(V). 8.Speckled Pigeon(V). 9.Superb Starling(V). 10.African Fish Eagle(V,T). 11.Egyptian Goose(V). 12.Marabou Stork(V). 13.Red-cheeked Cordonbleu(V). 14.EgyptianVulture. 15.Streaky Seedeater. 16.Abdim's Stork. 17.White-bellied Bustard. 18.Silvery-cheeked Hornbill(T). 19.Isabelline Wheatear. 20.White-browed Sparrow-Weaver. 21.Eurasian Hoopoe(T). 22.Three-banded Courser. 23.African Gray Hornbill. 24.Abyssinian Scimitar-bill. 25.Namaqua Dove. 26.Pygmy Falcon. 27.Buff-crested Bustard. 28.Northern Red-billed Hornbill. 29.Woodchat Shrike. 30.Red-billed Firefinch. 31.Red-billed Quelea. 32.Pallid Harrier. 33.Nubian Woodpecker. 34.White-bellied Go-away-bird. 35.Western Yellow Wagtail. 36.Mountain Thrush. 37.Vitelline Masked-Weaver. 38.Steppe Eagle. 39.Village Weaver(V). 40.Black Kite. 41.Black-winged Lapwing. 42.Yellow-billed Kite. 43.African Stonechat. 44.Heuglin's white-eye. 45.Baglafecht Weaver. 46.Booted Eagle. 47.Dusky Turtle-Dove. 48.Thekla Lark. 49. Augur Buzzard. 50.Yellow-necked Spurfowl. 51.Kori Bustard. 52.Von der Decken's Hornbill. 53.African Paradise-Flycatcher. 54.Red-and-yellow Barbet. 55.Fork-tailed Drongo. 56.Little Bee-eater. 57.White-browed Coucal. 58.Laughing Dove. 59.Mocking Cliff-Chat. 60.Northern Wheatear. 61.White-headed Buffalo-Weaver. 62.Red-billed Oxpecker(T). 63.Tawny-flanked Prinia(V). 64.Pin-tailed Whydah. 65.Garden Bulbul. 66.White-faced Whistling Duck(V). 67.Spotted Morning-Thrush. 68.White-backed Vulture. 69.Eastern Chanting-Goshawk. 70.Red-winged Starling. 71.African Harrier-Hawk. 72.Red-backed Scrub-Robin. 73.Rueppell's Glossy-Starling. 74.Pied Cuckoo. 75.Rüppell's Vulture. 76.Rufous-crowned Roller. 77.Speckled Mousebird. 78. Verreaux's Eagle-Owl. 79.Pied Kingfisher. 80.Woodland Kingfisher. 81.Mourning Collared-Dove(V). 82.Sacred Ibis. 83.African Jacana. 84. White-browed Robin-Chat. 85. Black Crake. 86.Green-backed Camaroptera. 87.Hadeda ibis. 88.Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. 89.Red-eyed Dove. 90.Southern Fiscal. 91.Scarlet-chested Sunbird. 92.Yellow-billed Stork. 93.Striped Kingfisher. 94.Helmeted Guineafowl. 95.Gray-backed Fiscal. 96.Chestnut Sparrow. 97.African Darter. 98.Beautiful Sunbird. 99.Great White Pelican. 100.Long-tailed Cormorant. 101.Grey-hooded Gull. 102.Squacco Heron. 103.Rufous-necked Wryneck. 104.Barn Swallow. 105.Hottentot Teal. 106.Crane(T). 107.Pied Crow. 108.Slender-tailed Nightjar. 109.Pink-backed Pelican. 110.Osprey. 111.Mariqua Sunbird. 112.Malachite Kingfisher. 113.White-rumped Shrike. 114.Grey-headed Kingfisher. 115.Ring-necked dove. 116.Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush. 117. Redstart. 118.Gabar Goshawk. 119.Montagu's Harrier.
MAMMALS:1 African golden Wolf. 2.Black-backed jackal.
REPTILES: 1.Nile crocodile. 2.Leopard tortoise.
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