Osprey vs. Bald Eagle

This has been the kind of weekend that Portlanders dream of all winter long.  Sunny and in the 60's for three days in a row is a lot to ask for here.  I have packed in a ton of birding and have oh so much to share with you, but right now I just want to share this encounter between a Bald Eagle and an Osprey at Fernhill Wetlands this morning.   Five of us watched the Osprey with a fish in its talons try to evade a hungry eagle, but no dice, the eagle won... Check it out:



After what felt like a long time, the Osprey dropped the fish and the eagle dove straight down to catch it...



I was pretty impressed when the eagle snatched it out of the air.  He did some victory circles with his eagle friend (they may be the pair that have a nest nearby) and finally landed in a tree.



Pretty awesome drama, though it seemed like a lot more work than just snatching a fish out of the water.   Next time I will share all the other rad stuff I saw this weekend including one lifer and many newly arrived birds.  Good times!!!

Comments

  1. Jen, very cool sight to see. I can't wait to hear about the rest of your birdie weekend. Great series!

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  2. Fantastic! Two great raptors in action...

    If this is just the appetizer, I'm really looking forward to the rest of your findings and photos.

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  3. Eagle FTW! I agree that fighting for fish rather than just fishing seems like a waste of energy, but maybe it's more fun...

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  4. You aren't kidding- the weather has been perfect! The Eagle/Osprey show must have been fun to watch.

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  5. Awesome shots of some really cool klepto-eagle behavior!

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  6. Incredible sequence, Jen! Thanks for sharing it!

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  7. awesome series!! I agree to me it would have been easier to just swoop down get his own dang fish..lol Cant wait to hear what your new lifer is!!

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