The Osprey. Weighing up to 4.5 pounds. Averaging 24 inches tall. A wingspan of up to 5 feet. With it’s size and it’s ferocity, the Osprey is a fitting compatriot with the Eagles and other birds of prey. And what’s best, just two and half hours a way is Reelfoot Lake where there are very many of these wonderful birds.
From the beautiful boardwalk, Monica and I spotted our first Osprey. He was flying about 100 yards out in front of us, in a mostly right to left direction. When we saw him, both of us were so excited, as we could see that he seemed to be carrying something. I snapped off a bunch of pictures as fast as our D7200 would take them, and with the distance involved the 200 – 500 mm lens once again saved the day. You can actually see good detail in the feathers and face, and what I think is quite awesome, is that you can see the fish he is holding onto with his talons.
We watched him fly to a dead tree and even though it was even more of a distance away, we were able to get a couple nice shots of him eating the fish. I would have loved to been able to get a shot of him in the process of tearing a piece of fish off (sorry to be so graphic) but it would have been a great shot of nature in action.
Of course the “on the wing” shots of him soaring across the sky are practically awe inspiring. In the feature photo you can see him gliding across the sky and scanning the water below for his next catch. So graceful and yet so fierce.
Taking the fast moving shots has proven to be a very difficult, as it seems like we are always fighting against shadows or not enough light period to be able to set the shutter speed high enough to get clear shots. However, this morning, over the water, the sky was clear and the sun was bright. So with the camera set up in Manual mode, we were able to get a shutter speed of 1/2000 and get some pretty clear photos.
Long story short, a great day with the camera and all just a couple hours away. Don’t forget: hit the like button, leave comments, and share with your friends. Be sure to come back to rmgoldsmithphotography.com any time to check in for new blogs and photos. Until next time, Enjoy Our Wonderful World!
RM Goldsmith Photography 