Ospreys in Thiensville

In what has become more and more common, Ospreys are being spotted throughout Wisconsin, but little did we know that they are such rabid baseball fans. A friend told me about three Ospreys in a nest at a baseball field adjacent to the Milwaukee River in Thiensville. The nest is atop a lighting fixture in center field, and people frequenting a nearby tennis court and playground don't seem to bother the birds.

                 
      One of the Ospreys reminded me of a neighborhood "peeper."

             

Ospreys feed exclusively on fish, and those eyes can spot a fish in water from extreme heights as they soar in circles and scan the water below.

Once they snare a fish, they return to the nest for feeding, reluctantly sharing the catch.

During one of the several days I was watching the Ospreys, I thought I spotted one returning to the nest with a large fish, but it turned out to be a sizable tree branch, used to upgrade the condition of  their nest without the cost of an expensive designer/contractor!

It was even more impressive to see the Osprey with the setting moon in view.

The Osprey's wingspan is from 5 to 6 feet or more, and they are beautiful to watch in flight.

Toward the end of the time I allotted to this photo shoot, I hoped to see an Osprey diving into the river, feet first, snaring a huge fish with its barb-like talons and, fighting the fast moving river current, rising like Icarus in triumph!

Ah, well, on my last day I saw the Osprey flying past me with a bright red-orange fish held tight by talons. A closer observation revealed the awful truth. The Osprey had located a Koi pond somewhere and, without hunter-shame, stole a rather large, no doubt expensive, fish that had nowhere to hide.