Monday, July 21, 2008

Meet some of our neighbors


Alright, I can't take credit for this picture. But, I was soooo excited to tell you about our 'neighbors'! So, I just did an internet search for a visual to accompany this entry.

The husband and I went for a kayak trip yesterday afternoon. Just a short trip to explore the marsh near the house. On Saturday, we had been told by neighbors that there was an osprey nest in the marsh near the intersection of our backyard canal and the Trent River. Well, we paddled and looked, paddled and looked and finally saw a big bird. Yes, it was an osprey and it was out hunting. We paddled in circles watching the bird hover and dive for fish.

Compared with the little bird that feed off our feeders, these osprey are HUGE! Although osprey only stand 20 to 24 inches high, they have an average wingspan of five to six feet. Yes, feet.

After awhile, we headed back to the house and that's when we saw it; the nest. There it was, perilously perched at the very top of a dead tree. Compiled of lots of twigs and branches, it looked like it could be knocked over with a strong wind (something we encountered on the way home).

Next time out, I'll take the camera and try to take a picture of our 'neighbors.'

2 comments:

Simpatico said...

One of the things I have loved most in life is being smack in the middle of a natural setting. We get excited about a bird skimming the surface of the pool as though it were a personal bird bath . . . but an osprey, Wow!
MOM

Anonymous said...

Wow!! How cool is that. I can't wait to meet your new neighbor the next time I am in town.