So This year I stumbled upon a new Park to photograph sunrise's and Wildlife in,  Kensington metro park.  What a gorgeous park, If I lived nearby I'd be here all the time but being its a 1hr13min drive I can only make it up there on my days off, the weekends.

This Blog is about a pair of osprey (Fred and Wilma the locals named them)  for those that have followed my travels and photography have noted some Osprey photo's in my FB albums or even a couple have made my portfolio here on the website. I've never had opportunities like this to photograph a nest like this, every nest I've ever been near has always been up high and I never had the time to sit on the nest.   This nest at this park has been occupied for years by regular Osprey's, very very unique for Photographers, birders, or nature lovers to enjoy the Ospreys raise there kids from this low vantage point,  The Ospreys start building the nest in april and usually the adults and kids will fledge south before October.  

The last two Saturdays I decided to drop my kayak into the waters and photograph first the local pair of Eagles and there kids in the morning light and then Fred and Wilma Osprey in the afternoon/evening light. Some of my most unique bird photographs have always come from my kayak, check out my perrysburg living albums on FB along the Maumee river.  For birds on the water getting eye level with subjects is always preferred, its all about foreground and backgrounds, Me putting my Kayak in these waters I am looking for a certain shot and that is of a Raptor plucking a fish out of the water coming right at me and with the Eagles and Osprey at this park it just might happen, Reality though its a tough lifetime shot.  If I never get it well so be it but putting yourself into position is the first key,  to get unique shots you have to put yourself into unique positions, you have to put the time in the effort, with GPS I guesstimate I'm paddling 4 miles each time I drop my kayak in these waters, def doing the effort, my shoulders and arms are feeling it the next day for sure.

This sequence of events this past Sat that lead to these pictures your about to see are moments where if a Meteor would happen to fall out of the sky and pluck me off whilst paddling back to the car I'd be totally content with that. I had such a personal moment of, Wow did I just witness that? Did I just expierence that with Fred?   While paddling back to the car keep saying cannot believe I was that close to those aerial battles. Yep I'm glad to have gotten some cracking pics but just to experience wildlife acting wild I felt like the luckiest human then and there. They put on a outstanding behavior show. Personally I can do many forms of photography covering many subjects I love to be around but I get more of a thrill out of wildlife and birding photography. And As Doug Gardner says its not always about the photograph its the outdoor experience.

So I'm gonna navigate you through these pics with some words of how it all unfolded 

These first two photo's are of Wilma the week before 7-8-17, the first day I had my kayak in there waters, Fred was off doing other stuff this day but Wilma never objected to me being there in fact I think she was enamored with me and my clicky device that was making noises as she flew over, she def was checking out the human in the red floaty thing.  she circled a good 3 times looking at me with each pass  but never squaked or swooped.  I know all about not disturbing the natural behavior of wildlife, spent alot of time letting them get use to me before I get enough pixels on them for shots  well as you'll see later Fred could care less I was there haha.  There are signs on the lake as you launch your boat talking of the 100 yard rule of staying away from nesting Osprey.  I did that on the nest for sure,  I'm not gonna be the human that spooked a bird that cannot fly off a nest thats for sure.  

Back to the story  Wilma checking me out,  (pic note just noticed the sensor dust spot around the wing DOH! I usually content aware those out before posting, sorry in advance if you see more, I rushed these pics for the blog)

OK this was Saturday 7-15-17  the day of all the action Fred bringing in the second fish of the day high noonish, this was after photographing the Eagles and I was shoreline here standing with other photographers, After lunch with a fellow photographer friend I got back in my kayak around 2:30pm this day

He flew to a tree, bite off the head a bit and this was him bringing it into the nest  

Bringing in that pike

Now I'm in my kayak , it was 3:30ish , very hot outside I was slowly floating along the shoreline in the shade staying cool looking to see if Fred was perched in a tree, the previous week I did'nt get the chance to photograph Fred at all from my boat besides a group shot at the nest so I was looking for him  hoping he would'nt fly off if I did see him.   then below this happen,  Fish flyin head still intact haha,  this was soo close, could'nt believe my luck and he landed in a tree to my right I had to twist my torso really far to get the next shots,  did'nt want to make any paddling movements in avoidance to spook him 

He looks back at the nest

The fish was still very alive and flapping, he's trying to settle it down without falling off 

After flying to another tree on the other side of the lake biting off the head then here he is bringing it into the nest 

Mom Feeding a youngin   

Dad after seeing mom had the feeding situation going ok on the nest immediately flew back to where I was,  He took a even closer branch to where I was.  It was funny as soon as he landed, looked at me and said man I'm so tired,  could'nt keep his eyes open, so I sat there and watched him nap,  as a photographer you know you've done a good job with trust and the subject takes a nap in front of you  

Human I can sleep and still keep a eye on you, I'm like Fred I have my anchor out and was'nt going anywhere. Nap away 

Then Fred notices a flash of Blue 

Motha!!!!  Great Blue Heron! incoming!

I told you suckers   this is a Great Blue Heron no fly zone!!

Game ON!

I looked over my right shoulder  heard a big yell from the GBH  see Fred swoop on him like really really close to me, So I missed the first dive in pictures, I could'nt get my boat turned around fast enough, when I did I caught these next pics as the fight moved on over the water

Fred wasted no time and flew right back over by me,  this time another branch, even closer to where I was.  I think Fred and I was bonding.  I felt it, I Felt we were a security team, I really did.

I started talking to him,  Introduced myself,  He said Steve could you look into someone making up some No Fly Zone during Osprey Nesting season signs and post them around the area?  Especially those G Frekin BH's they are always trying to fish near my family, I'm afraid ones gonna go after one of kids someday.   E V E R Y Frekin Day with them!!     I said Fred I'll see what I can do :)   I also told fred, hey fred if I'm around and one of your kids fall off the nest when there learning to fly in the next few weeks that I will paddle over, pick em up and throw em back in the nest.  Fred said thanks. I said no worries mate, I heard about your incident last year( look it up one of the kids did fall off this nest when trying to fly and got blown off and almost drowned until a birder saved the young female osprey with a kayak).

But really I'm so tired, cannot wait to fly south and relax a bit

Then this happen,  INTRUDER inboud!  I shall call her the Italian Fran cause of all her dark chest hair :)  

Mom was off soaring a bit, see's Fran and this is her flying back to the nest for protection of her kids 

Its Fran, I hate that women  

Fred see's and hears the Ruckus, turns on his branch and ready's for launch 

This is Fred, in the Air staring down his opponent 

Intruder Fran, note the chest hair.  pretty bird, might be a young femaile with those markings

He notices me and Says aaahhh Fred you hired a Human to your security detail I see.   Slick move my friend slick move 

Fred high, Fran Low

I was tracking fred  but Tony cross's in front,  these Air battle pics are heavily crop, sorry about the quality

Check out fred below,  they must be really close and ready to lock talons   

but never happen,  just a bluff of force 

I look down and don't see Wilma on the nest,  very rare for her to leave when a battle is going on above.  but she must have really thought Fran serious so she joins in the battle.  Fran is low and Fred and Wilma high 

This is Wilma flying over me

Yells at me. Your not doing enough Steve!  I can only do so much! just the one flyby and back to the nest .She got over it

Wilma back to the nest

Fred fly's to a different branch next to me,  everytime a different branch.  Says to me,  I hate that Women! frekin Fran!

Shakes his feathers here 

Starts biting this stick or beak cleaning

I really love this stick

Captain, I'm outta here I got more Osprey stuff to do. 

See ya next time Fred,   Your a good father buddie,  Your a good provider and protector for your family

Initial plan going into this paddle was I was gonna wait for the light to get really soft and capture a sunset with the landscape camera  but after all I just had witness'd  nothing could ever top the moments I had with Fred  this day is over and started the paddle back to my car.

On my way back in the distance I did see fred one last time, he was bringing in a stick to the nest,  A Osprey's work is never done, its amazing the amount of work they have to do to safely fledge there kids each year.  I'm sure Mom's job is super tough but Dad Osprey I have total respect, its been reported that Dad ospreys do %95 of the fishing during the nesting season.  Thats quite the commitment to plunge yourself straight down a 100mph into the water a few times a day.  Osprey are amazing birds of prey!

Thanks Fred for giving me a closeup view in a day of your life of you doing what you do (now if I can request a fishing catch right infront of my boat someday) I document the moment the best I can for ya :) 

If that happens I'll add the pics to this blog

UPDATE   Its 8-27-17 me typing this here  We'll the fish catch did'nt happen but I'll continue with the rest of my Story with this Osprey family, So when I last photographed all 4 of them in the nest,  the following weekend I went back and learned of losing one of there kids again this season,  the 2 kids were seen on the nest playing hopscoth flying over each other the next day one of the kids with a transmitter was found dead along the shoreline nothing but bones.  they retrieved the transmitter,  no one knows how she died, I think she failed on a flight, went into the water and tried to swim to shore and could'nt get out due to the highshoreline and something killed her.  :( just sad sad day amongst us photographers who were hoping for a successful fledging of the 3 birds this season.  So Bam Bam was left and I had 3 great weekends photographing her from my Kayak,  She was a blast to photograph, some of my best shots of the season is these coming up down below.  I'll give ya some more play by play as they unfold here.

Cheers all 

Steve