As the babies grow bigger, the dad seems to get busier catching fish. In a 4 hour period I saw him bring in maybe 4 fish. As the babies get bigger ,I suppose he will get busier.
Sometimes dad brings the fish directly into the nest. At other times he brings it to a neighbouring perch and waits. When the female tells him they are ready he flies over to the nest with the new catch. To me it looks like he is riding a skateboard here and not carrying a fish.
What do osprey eat? According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:
The osprey’s diet is almost exclusively fish, a unique characteristic among raptors. They are opportunistic about the species of fish they catch, but they can only catch fish swimming within three feet (1 m) of the water’s surface. They rarely take fish over 16 inches (40 cm) long.
They on occasion will catch small birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Will they catch a fish a fisherman snagged? Watch the video taken by The Crossroads on the Schroon River in the Adirondacks of New York. Beware a curse word is used.
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I worry about them having trouble with a hook. On the Hudson River they seem to have no issue getting fish on their own. Maybe the ones on small rivers upstate will resort to stealing from a fisherman. Have a Happy Tuesday!
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