Osprey, Osprey hovering high
Like a 'copter in the sky
Diving, diving, oh so fast!
Here comes dinner. Yum, at last.

Well, so much for my literary talent. 
Maybe I’ll stick to researching birds I love. 

This month it is the remarkable OSPREY which builds nests in various locations around towns. An easy nest to view is in the ballfield right next to the Lincoln City Dairy Queen and Community Center. This is one of four birders have noted in the area. They prefer high, stable locations near or in sight of a body of water which provides access to fish.  The majority of their food source is fish. They are quite adaptable to urban settings as seen at this site. Games of baseball take place day and night and the osprey seem to ignore it all.

It is hard to imagine how such a large raptor can fish. They are more than 24 inches in length with a wingspan of 71 inches. That is just short of 6 feet! Their keen eyesight allows them to locate fish swimming below them. To catch them, they hover above until the perfect moment then they dive very fast into the water and quickly reappear. They can dive up to about 3 feet down! Sometimes the fish appears to be too large to swallow but these birds are masters at getting them in their talons tightly to take back to their nests.  They have actually adapted so they can put two talons in front of the fish and one behind which allows them to hold on securely! AND, they carry their prey with their heads in front for a more aerodynamic flight.  Remarkable!

The female of this species is noticeably larger than the male. Their light underside color with brown wingtips, brown breast band, black face mask, bill, and legs make them easy to spot. Eagles, in contrast, are dark. You may actually see eagles trying to steal fish from them. Osprey have a hook type beak which allows them to tear up their prey, just like the eagles.

Ospreys usually mate for life. Five months of each year is spent rearing their young. The female lays up to 4 eggs which hatch in about 39 days. The babies then spend about 9 weeks growing and being served fish before they fledge from the nest. Next they spend time learning to catch their own fish and strengthening their wings before they migrate south for the winter. Ospreys are actually found on all of our continents but Antarctica.  Their lifespan is 7-10 years. 
Check out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website for live video cams, sounds, videos, etc.  Their call is quite distinctive and easy to recognize.