Tag Archives: Osprey

As Escher Sees Eagles

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EscherEagles6691Osprey or Fish Eagles Yellowstone      click to enlarge

M. C. Escher was a Dutch artist who created fantastical images of staircases twisting and turning back onto themselves, repeating patterns, hands drawing each other, many scenes of an architectural bent (No pun intended… maybe ) that make you dizzy when you try and follow the lines through the pictures, and multiples of repeating patterns, such as fish gradually turning into birds as your eye travelled over the image. His style of art was based originally on architectural features he found on buildings in Italy when he traveled there. He is kind of a famous art  guy whose work you will recognize immediately whether you know his name or not.

It is unclear whether Escher spent any time at the Calcite Springs overlook in Yellowstone, him being a Dutch guy that rarely left Europe, but had he, he would have seen this view and I’m pretty certain it would have sent his little neurons firing themselves into a frenzy with all the possibilities for creating new work.

During my research I was unable to ascertain if Escher had extensive knowledge of Fish Eagles or Osprey as they are better known here, but I’m sure he would have added them to his drawings just because they are so cool looking sitting there. If I ever run across the guy in a future life and I can speak Dutch I’m going to check that out.

I think I’m on to something here. I think spending time in Yellowstone is more than just photographing the occasional grizzly or wolf. I think there might be sights and experiences here that will stir your imagination in other ways, so I’m going to keep my eye out, figuratively speaking, for other examples of art that may be hidden in this incredible place. In fact I heard that there is a girl working at the Food court at Fishing Bridge visitor center that looks just like that girl who Rembrandt painted, the smiley face one. I’m going to go check that out.

Fish Alert !

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FishAlert9383Bald Eagles Colorado                        click to enlarge

For Immediate Release

Fish Alert !

Eagles are back ! This is a Condition Red Warning !

Post at all Lakes Rivers Ponds Irrigation ditches Fish Farms

This is a warning to all fish. This is not a drill. Eagles are back and are patrolling all places of fish habitat. At this point there have been only a few reports of fish taken but you may expect increased levels of activity as the nesting season draws near. Spawning time is one of our most dangerous times. Remember the eagles know where you live. Be extremely vigilant and refrain from feeding at the water surface until full darkness. Teach your fry the signs of eagles overhead. Swim at least 30-42″ below the surface during daylight hours. If Osprey are known to be in the area increase this depth to 65-75″. This is the minimum safe depth to prevent Talon Acquisition.  Watch for fleeting shadows across the surface of your environment. If you swim in a school try to be the bottom fish. Remember “Look up and Live”. Last years depredation of our populations was significant. Do not be Eagle Food. Be Ever Vigilant! The life you save may be your own.

This warning is brought to you by “Save Our Fish Today” or SOFT. We may be SOFT but we put out a Hard  message. Listen Hard, Stay Hard. Stay Alive.

 

RiverDance

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RiverDance1392click to enlarge

All of the rivers in Yellowstone National Park have personalities of their own but the Firehole river is hands down the coolest. While the Yellowstone river is majestic and the Gibbon is chaotic and the Madison is grand, it is the Firehole that has the hippest personality of all. It is due to the supporting characters along it’s banks as much as anything. From the dive-bombing Osprey that slice into the crystal clear water, to the occasional coyote that swims across it and even the buffalo that will walk along it’s banks in the water just for the fun of it, the Firehole is more like a refined circus than a carnival.

 Here we have a Mallard duck preparing for the season premiere of Yellowstone’s version of RiverDance. Each year one of the animal groups is chosen to be the featured performers in this season’s extravaganza, and this year it is the duck family, much to their delight. Rehearsing tirelessly the ducks are perfecting each and every move. Carefully choosing the perfect location to show off their classic performances, this rock overhang is the absolute best choice for the climax of his routine.

The show also features the high diving Osprey showcasing their dangerous and heart stopping “Dive of Death” where they plunge headlong into the river and reappear with glistening Cutthroat trout in their talons, plus the zany and carefree Common Mergansers, the mop-tops of the duck world, performing their perfectly choreographed skit “Skipping Across the River Top”. The featured performance though, will be the dancing talents of the Mallard backed up by that Bevy of Bountiful Beauties, the Duckettes, performing a dance routine “Rollin’ On The River” set to the music of Ike and Tina’s “Proud Mary”. It will be a showstopper.

So, don’t miss it. Performances daily at locations up and down the Firehole River. Be there or be square.

Multi-Tasking

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Osprey2984click to enlarge

There is not a lot of time for a leisurely sit down meal when you have three chicks to feed and the nearest lake is miles away. The kids are in that eat-your-own-weight-in-fish mode and  their demands keep you in a frenzy of activity. Fly to the lake, catch a fish, bring it home, watch kids devour it without even chewing, fly back to lake, etc. It ‘s a never-ending cycle. The thought of them fledging and being able to feed themselves is so far down the road you can’t even think about it. Like all good parents the ability to multi-task comes in handy and allows for a quick meal on the fly, so to speak. The thought of night time and the chance of finally getting a little rest is enough to keep their spirits up as they hurry through their day and there may even be a glimmer of anticipation of the upcoming winter trip to Florida or maybe even the Caribbean. Meanwhile, back to the lake.

I Just Can’t Get Enough

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Kestrel1458

This Kestrel, a small hawk about the same size as a Flicker is definitely a Type A kind of bird. I was shooting Osprey on their nest when he flew in carrying a mouse and landed on the phone pole right next door. This was unusual behavior because normally raptors don’t like other raptors, regardless of size, in their territory and will run them off immediately. But these Osprey were a little more laid back regarding competitors that are half the size of their own young and ignored him completely. Being the hard charger that he is as soon as he landed he spotted this bug and lunged towards it. Lunging with a dead mouse in your talons, small though they may be, tends to cramp your lunging style and he totally missed the bug. Acting as if he meant to miss it all along he soon began feeding on his mouse and if there was any embarrassment over the missed play he didn’t let it show. I personally think he was just showing off, trying to impress the neighbors with just how bad he was.