You’d think it’s an eagle if you saw it flying majestically overhead, except that an Osprey’s head has a dark mask on the sides of its eyes. This one also has a crown on its head and brown bands on its tail (an adult bald eagle has a pure white face and tail). But Ospreys do have a wingspan of nearly 6 feet, and when perched, it stands about 2 feet tall. Its striking gold eyes give the bird that intense eagle look.
Watching an osprey fish is an incredible experience. It can catch a fish about every 12 minutes. The huge bird flies gracefully over the lake looking for a target. It then glides downward and at the last second it extends his talons forward. If a fish is close to the surface, the osprey will grab it and continue forward, climbing slowly with its prize.
Sometimes the birds will actually dive completely under the water feet first and come out of the water with a fish. The lake water weight could slow them down, but as they climb skyward, they shake violently to get it off.
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