Wordless on a Thursday

Come Back

 "The fish-hawk, too, is occasionally seen at this season sailing majestically over the water, and he who has once observed it will not soon forget the majesty of its flight. It sails the air like a ship of the line, worthy to struggle with the elements, falling back from time to time like a ship on its beam ends, and holding its talons up as if ready for the arrows, in the attitude of the national bird. It is a great presence, as of the master of river and forest.

Belle Isle State Park, VA

 Its eye would not quail before the owner of the soil, but make him feel like an intruder on its domains. And then its retreat, sailing so steadily away, is a kind of advance. I have by me one of a pair of ospreys, which have for some years fished in this vicinity, shot by a neighboring pond, measuring more than two feet in length, and six in the stretch of its wings.

Belle Isle State Park, VA

Bethel Beach Mathews, VA

Sturgeon Creek

Nuttall mentions that "The ancients, particularly Aristotle, pretended that the ospreys taught their young to gaze at the sun, and those who were unable to do so were destroyed. Linnaeus even believed, on ancient authority, that one of the feet of this bird had all the toes divided, while the other was partly webbed, so that it could swim with one foot, and grasp a fish with the other." But that educated eye is now dim, and those talons are nerveless. Its shrill scream seems yet to linger in its throat, and the roar of the sea in its wings. There is the tyranny of Jove in its claws, and his wrath in the erectile feathers of the head and neck. It reminds me of the Argonautic expedition, and would inspire the dullest to take flight over Parnassus."

Henry David Thoreau from "Natural History of Massachusetts"

Sturgeon Creek sometime in the 1980's

When I was a kid, one of the boat rides I liked to go on

 was to travel to the other side of Sturgeon Creek

 to see the ospreys' nest. 

 It sat atop a tree hanging over the water.

Back then, there weren't many osprey around.

Nests were scarce and seeing one was a treat.

It's a great thing to see the comeback they've made. 

The above nest isn't there anymore (the tree finally succumbed to gravity)

but there are several nests in the area.

And every day you can hear the distinct cry of a fish hawk. 

Spring

Spring is a busy time of year.  

Crocuses and daffodils are blooming, trees are budding, grass is growing and 

Osprey are returning to their nests. 

As for me, I'm knee deep in work when I'd rather be knee deep in water.

Or maybe not water, but on the beach at least.  

This time last year I was getting ready to head south to visit with some friends.

I'm anxious to have another relaxing weekend, but it has to wait until April.

I have a new grown up DSLR camera I'm itching to use

and friends I'm itching to see.

Escape

  Life sometimes has a way of being difficult 

to the point of wanting to runaway and escape.  

While Bore Bora is where I'd really like to disappear to,

I'd happily settle for the Tidewater of Virginia.

 

Osprey

While spending some time on Bethel Beach this past weekend, 

I was lucky enough to catch this shot of an osprey as she landed on her nest. 

Ospreys have always been one of my favorite birds.

Native Americans believe the Osprey teaches us to be risk takers-

to plunge into things with faith and not fear.

And they mate for life.

"Its shrill scream seems yet to linger in its throat, and the roar of the sea in its wings. There is the tyranny of Jove in its claws, and his wrath in the erectile feathers of the head and neck. It reminds me of the Argonautic expedition, and would inspire the dullest to take flight over Parnassus."

~Henry David Thoreau

Phoenix...er..Osprey Rising

While there aren't any ashes from which the legendary Phoenix can rise, there is a lot of rubble.  And from that rubble a pair of osprey appeared. 

Perched on our neighbor's dead tree is the beginning of a nest.

Looking up at the nest you can see various building materials

(I'm talking actual human building materials like tar paper, a piece of tin roof, insulation...).

They've been dubbed Leroy and Helen.

Might seem like odd names for a pair of osprey, but those were the names of my great aunt and great uncle Memom and the legendary Pepop.

Since the osprey nested in a tree located on what used to be Pepop's and Memom's property, and since Pepop was such a huge nature lover (he was once the Superintendent of Patapsco state Park in Maryland) I felt the new monikers were fitting.

And if old language lessons hold true, Le Roy means "The King" and I'd say Leroy certainly looks like he is viewing his kingdom from atop his tree.

And of course there's the whole Helen of Troy "the face that launched a thousand ships" analogy.

So despite the loss of so many old trees, there was one good thing that came from it. 

I spent most of my time looking over at the nest and wandering over to take photos of the new neighbors.

Hearing the telltale cry of the osprey made me smile.

And I enjoyed watching the pair continue to bring various pieces of sticks, branches and building material to add to their modest abode. 

So, yes, bad things happen like devastating tornadoes, but there are good things that happen as a result. 

To read about the Legendary Pepop go here.