Osprey

Here's someone that was probably migrating through NJ but stopped by the Duke Farms lakes to catch its breath and catch a meal, an Osprey. This fella was obscured by some trees but is still recognizable with that white head with the dark line going through the eyes. In this picture the Osprey was overlooking Otter Lake, though I suspect this is the same Osprey I saw a couple days later at Vista Lake. I suspect this was more of a rest stop for the Osprey since I haven't seen it in over a week now.

I'm not sure why an Osprey pair hasn't AFAIK bred on property. It's possible that they'd consider it to be living uncomfortably close to the Duke Farms Bald Eagles. Bald Eagles are known for attacking Ospreys and stealing their fish, and it's possible the eagles would consider Ospreys to be competitors to be run off the property. And it's also possible they'd have run-ins with the Red-tailed Hawks and Great Horned Owls on the property, even though Ospreys are fishing specialists who probably wouldn't be food competitors.

The Osprey is considered "imperiled" in NJ, so it's not like there are a lot of them around here. The ones that do live in NJ can probably be pretty choosy about the real estate they pick. Presumably the fishing is a bit better elsewhere.

April 9, 2022 at Duke Farms
Photo 189539685, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)





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