Visiting a friend’s Cayuga Lake house yesterday I spotted the now familiar behavior of the Osprey, searching for a catch over a deep freshwater lake. This is the second post of a series featuring these successful hawks. The first post was “Endless Searching, with the Osprey above the Atlantic Ocean” For this post we return to Florida’s Atlantic coast.

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Human Vs. Avian

Here is a team of fishermen landing a catch, employing a full kit of gear. You will have a better viewing experience by clicking on the title of the embedded YouTube, then click on the Full Screen icon at the lower right.

You will have a better viewing experience by clicking on the title of the embedded YouTube, then click on the Full Screen icon at the lower right.

Click any photograph for a larger view.

Compare the equipment to the Osprey, it has all it needs with nothing extra and a bit left to chance. The hawk was brought close with a combination of a handheld Canon EOS -1Ds Mark III with Canon’s EF 70-300 mm f/4-5.6L USM lens. Even with the cooperative hunting advantage human surf fishing is must less efficient than the Osprey dive, snatch, fly away.

A Miss and A Hit

An Osprey can achieve 80 MPH dives only to pull out within inches of the ocean surface. This video starts with the dive, it is so fast you many need two or three views to appreciate it. The dive is followed for an extended take of the bird flying away, continuing to stalk prey, and ends with a line of pelicans skimming the waves.

You will have a better viewing experience by clicking on the title of the embedded YouTube, then click on the Full Screen icon at the lower right.

For the following video the hawk is seen prepare for a dive, streak down into the surf, fly away toward the next, talons around the catch. There is the fascinating behavior of shaking mid-flight to dry off.

You will have a better viewing experience by clicking on the title of the embedded YouTube, then click on the Full Screen icon at the lower right.

All three videos are from my phone. Apple IPhone 8 fits in my pocket, always handy when needed. It has the shortcoming of a difficult finger maneuver to zoom in. I am never fast enough to capture the upcoming action and zoom. Later posts will feature a series of photographs from the Canon with more resolution.

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