Ospreys in the Everglades

Ospreys are one of my favorite raptors. While exploring Flamingo City in Everglades National Park, we were driving around the campsite when we noticed a crowd of people stopping, getting out of their cars, and taking photos. Naturally, we pulled over to see what the excitement was about.

Lo and behold, there was an osprey nest right by the road! The female was perched on the nest, carefully guarding her eggs. She kept calling out repeatedly, and we wondered why. It didn't take long to find out—the male was sitting on a nearby tree, clutching a freshly caught fish.

Surprisingly, he didn’t seem to be in any rush to deliver his meal to his hungry mate. Instead, he remained comfortably perched, savoring his moment. We walked closer to where he was sitting and took a series of portrait shots, capturing his striking presence. I was eager for an action shot, hoping to catch him in flight as he finally took off to deliver the fish. But he wasn’t in a hurry.

The female continued calling impatiently, yet he stayed put, content on his branch. Time stretched on—fifteen minutes in the blazing Florida sun. My arms started aching from holding the heavy telephoto lens, but I refused to put it down.

Then, at last, he made his move.

As soon as he took off, I fired off shot after shot, hoping for the perfect frame. Luckily, I got it!

Florida is truly an incredible place for bird photography.