Time really does fly. It’s been roughly a year since I started to take a serious interest in documenting the Osprey in my neighborhood. Since last April I had purchased a super telephoto lens to help get closer to these birds. I then spent the rest of the summer and fall learning how to use my new equipment.
That being said my best Osprey photos to date were made roughly an hour away in Wildwood. Though I’m proud of those images, I don’t have the personal connection that I feel to the birds in my community. All wildlife is special, but I feel a certain responsibility to observe and protect the creatures in my backyard.
While browsing some photo sites online I’ve started to notice that Osprey were beginning to return to our area here on the East Coast. I’ve been eagerly awaiting the return of neighborhood birds. The weather has been poor lately, so I haven’t been able to spend as much time outside as I would like. We got a break from the weather this weekend and much to my delight the Osprey were out fishing on the lake.
The first one I noticed was a female, circling high above the yard a few times before heading upstream. A hawk perched on a tree at the water’s edge took exception and quickly confronted the Osprey midair. After their brief skirmish over the water, I saw her turn inland and lost sight of her in the glare of the sun. Moments later, she returned, gliding over the dock. This time she was close enough for me to capture a great sequence of photos. I watched her continue down the lake until she was out of range, confident I had just taken some of my best images yet of my fish hunting neighbors.
Female osprey flying over the backyard.
The Best Camera is the One You Bring With You
Later on in the afternoon, the girls and I took a walk down the street to Ashley & Ryan’s house. Just before walking out the door, I remembered that my big lens was still mounted on my camera and decided to chuck it into the wagon. Just in case.
As soon as we started walking down the street, we spotted turkey vultures flying low through the trees. They are a common sight in our neighborhood but their behavior in this moment was strange, I knew something was different. After walking past a few houses I could see the outline of a bird that was not a vulture perched in a tree above the lake. To my surprise it was an Osprey! I quickly grabbed my camera and fired off a series of photos. The girls were just as excited as I was! We tried to get closer by walking into a neighbors yard (he was home in the garage, and we know them well) but we scared the bird away.
The next morning at 5:30 A.M. I emptied the camera’s card onto my computer while drinking my morning cup of coffee. I began selecting and editing the photos of the female, happy with what I had captured. I had assumed that the photos I took of the bird later on in the evening was the same female. The images in the tree were nice but lacked the drama of a good bird-in-flight shot. While reviewing the series I zoomed in close to check my focus. In that moment I realized this bird had a band on its leg and was actually a male! (Noticing the lack of markings on his chest.) Through sheer luck I had managed to capture two great photos of what I’m assuming is a mating pair within hours of each other.
Upon closer inspection of the band I could barely make out a few of the numbers on the band. I submitted a sighting report using the USGS reporting system. It says it may take a few weeks to identify the bird, if they can identify him at all! I’m hoping I hear something back. Till then, it’s time to head back out into the yard and take more photos.
Hooked by my first trip to the refuge last week, I knew I had to go back sooner rather than later. I knew that if I wanted more osprey photos, I would need to return before they left for the winter. The ospreys' migration depends on the availability of fish. As temperatures drop, fish swim deeper in rivers and lakes to stay warm. In the back of my mind, I knew the cooler weather earlier in the week was not helping my chances.
An opportunity to stay overnight in Wildwood presented itself on Saturday, and I jumped at the chance to head down. I woke up early on Sunday morning, and after a quick cup of coffee, made the short trip to the refuge, arriving just after sunrise.
I wanted to capture more than just bird photos this time, so for the short walk from the car, I mounted a standard zoom lens. The sun was just peeking over the dunes, and a thick layer of fog hung over the water.
The boardwalk to the bird blind is short, yet interesting. It's well-designed for a public area, and I like how you're surrounded by coastal vegetation, giving you the feeling of walking through a swamp. My favorite section is where you pass through a tunnel cut through what looks like a wax myrtle hedge.
The boardwalk leading to the wildlife observation platform in the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge Two Mile Beach Unit in Wildwood, New Jersey on Sunday, October 20, 2024.
After taking my time on the boardwalk, I arrived at the blind and quickly set up my gear. Before attaching my telephoto lens, I took a few more landscape photos, making sure to be quick before the remaining fog disappeared. After mounting the 150-600mm, I surveyed the landscape and noticed what appeared to be a belted kingfisher perched in a dead tree.
A Belted Kingfisher perched in a dead tree, surrounded by fog in the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge Two Mile Beach Unit in Wildwood, New Jersey on Sunday, October 20, 2024.
For the next 30 minutes in the blind, I didn’t spot a single bird close enough to photograph. I didn’t see a single osprey and began to fear the worst—that they had already begun their journey south for the winter. With some time left before I planned to head home, I left the blind and walked down the road through the refuge. I explored one of the dune trails and captured a few images of smaller birds, like the Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Yellow-rumped Warbler in the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge Two Mile Beach Unit in Wildwood, New Jersey on Sunday, October 20, 2024.
Before heading home, I decided to return to the observation platform, hoping for better luck. Though I had taken a few decent photos during my two hours at the refuge, what I really wanted was more osprey! As soon as I sat down in the blind, I spotted ospreys fishing in the distance across the water. Despite having nearly 600mm of reach, they were still too far away. I sat for a few minutes, admiring two ospreys as they fished. Every 30 seconds or so, one would dive into the water.
Just as I texted Victoria to say I was packing up and heading home, I spotted one of the ospreys hovering over the water, about to dive for a catch. I tracked it as it splashed into the water, then watched it take off and fly toward my position. The next ten seconds produced my best bird-in-flight photos to date.
An osprey taking off from the water after catching a fish in the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge Two Mile Beach Unit in Wildwood, New Jersey on Sunday, October 20, 2024.Osprey in flight with fish in the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge Two Mile Beach Unit in Wildwood, New Jersey on Sunday, October 20, 2024.
It’s nice to know that the rush you feel when you know you’ve got a good photo is still there, especially when you’ve questioned whether you’ve still "got it." In short, I’m all in on birding and bird photography now. The entire drive home, all I could think about was how I can have more experiences like this.
This past Monday, we took a trip to Wildwood Crest to visit my in-laws' new condo. I managed to carve out an hour to visit the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, which is only a mile away from their new beach house. The refuge is located on the southern tip of the barrier island, just before the city of Cape May.
Osprey flying in the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge Two Mile Beach Unit in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey on Monday, October 14, 2024. This bird was photographed from the observation platform overlooking Old Lower Thorofare
Based on my research on Google Maps, I found a platform overlooking a tidal marsh that seemed like the ideal spot for photographing migrating birds. To my surprise, the platform turned out to be a bird blind—an exciting discovery, as it was my first time photographing from one. This felt like the perfect opportunity to practice my technique in a more concealed environment.
My father-in-law accompanied me to the blind. Upon arriving, we met a friendly couple from upstate New York who were also birdwatching and taking photographs. They pointed out a couple of osprey perched in some dead trees nearby. I immediately started snapping photos, and within a few minutes, one of the osprey took off from its perch and flew right past the blind, giving me the chance to capture some close-up in-flight shots.
In some of the images, you can see a swarm of swallows above the dunes. While they may not be as impressive as the osprey, watching hundreds of swallows moving together was still an incredible sight.
I've made a real effort to photograph osprey since the spring, and I'm still refining my technique. My keeper rate for in-flight images is still quite low, but the image at the top of this post is my best result yet. Tracking a fast-moving bird with a telephoto lens and keeping it in focus is challenging, but experiences like these make the effort worthwhile.
Diving into the water with a thunderous crash was the moment I realized this bird I had been watching is not a seagull. While holding our newborn daughter, I shouted “osprey, osprey!” through the window to my wife, as she was out in the backyard talking to our neighbors. This scene is imprinted on my memory as the first time I had witnessed one of these raptors hunting in the wild. I couldn’t believe this was happening in my own backyard.
Soaring high on a clear Sunday afternoon
Since moving to Timber Lakes in 2017, our family's interest in the local wildlife had been anchored by the bald eagles residing upstream from our house. These impressive birds, with their six-foot wingspans and sharp eyes, had become familiar sights during our daily lives. Amidst this great respect for the eagles, I had heard stories about another feathered inhabitant hunting in our lakes. Known for their impressive fishing abilities and distinct appearance, ospreys were said to be nesting nearby. Yet, despite these tantalizing rumors, their elusive presence remained just beyond my grasp. I had assumed that they were active in our area in the past, but had long since moved on. Another casualty of human progress.
Taking off from a tree.
Since that initial sighting, my awareness of the ospreys' presence has sharpened, marking the beginning of a gradual yet significant increase in their sightings. What started as sporadic glimpses has burgeoned into a routine experience, with this year alone witnessing a surge in the number of sightings. Nowadays, it's become a common sight to see ospreys soaring above, skillfully fishing out of the lake, or majestically perched on trees lining the water’s edge. Their activity, especially noticeable with the arrival of spring, seems to have intensified, with a memorable moment one Sunday morning when three were spotted simultaneously, canvasing the water in a spectacular display of their hunting prowess. Amidst these frequent encounters, a fortunate opportunity arose for me to capture one of these magnificent birds on camera as it took flight from a pitch pine at the corner of our yard, immortalizing a moment that epitomizes the growing bond between us and these splendid raptors.
Osprey in flight at sunrise
I must admit, if it isn’t already obvious, that I’m quite excited about the presence of these birds in my community. It may just be a coincidence, but according to wildlife conservation groups in the state, Osprey populations are increasing each year thanks to their efforts. I’m hypothesizing here, but I take it as a sign that our lakes are in good health. Facing a decline in the overall fish population due to excess vegetation growth, our community has engaged in a lake management program that has restored the balance between open water and vegetation necessary for fish breeding. There now appears to be a sizable fish population that is capable of feeding these large birds in addition to the bald eagles that roam the skies above. My goal for this coming year is to increase my efforts in documenting these birds and build a better understanding of their relationship to our local ecosystem. I invite you, my readers, to stay tuned for upcoming posts featuring my photography of these magnificent birds.
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