Afternoon Cruise

[thomm225]

So many late afternoons this time of year say around 3-4 pm the Ospreys are cruising around their areas on the thermals.

They are probably up around 1500' - 2000' just moving back and forth maybe over a 2-3 mile area rarely flapping their wings

Are they scouting for tomorrows fishing? Or just hanging out.........enjoying the view?

[LittleWing77]

Any pics...?

LittleWing77

[thomm225]

No, but I'll try and get some.

Here are a couple things I found on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4BxqMs9F5w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx7wpQhWEYA

[JPA Cate]

No idea whether I'm right or wrong, but I think they're up there looking for something to eat. Now, perhaps they enjoy spreading their wings and sailing on the thermals, it looks to me like it would be "fun". It's just that I am too aware that that is projecting my feelings onto them, which is not the same at all as what they have going on for them!

Lovely, anyway. Thanks, thomm.

Ann

[a64pilot]

Mid afternoon is the time the thermals are best,(hottest part of the day) thermals are “free” lift so no work. As much as we would like to think they are having fun, I think they are just getting a free ride

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Mid afternoon is the time the thermals are best,(hottest part of the day) thermals are “free” lift so no work. As much as we would like to think they are having fun, I think they are just getting a free ride

Yeahbut... I bet that even in the avian world a free ride counts as "fun"!

And if you spot a tasty fish while our cruisin', even better!

Down here in Oz we often see the local Pelicans soaring away at great heights... but their fishing mode is scooping up fish from a floating position in the water, so the soaring has no useful function relative to feeding. I reckon they just enjoy it!

Jim

[OloteleMtn]

Did you see the video of the osprey that caught a small shark and was cruising along with it?

[BlueH2Obound]

Originally Posted by OloteleMtn

Did you see the video of the osprey that caught a small shark and was cruising along with it?

Yes, except the "shark" was a Spanish Makerel . . . Over Myrtle Beach if the caption was to be believed . . .

[sanibel sailor]

Around here, brown pelicans also dive bomb, tuck their wings and drop down mouth first on prey, usually from 50-75 feet up I would guess. Quite a splash. Ospreys do the same, but more gracefully. Their ability to regain flight is neat. They sort of jump up out of the water into the air using their wings, give a shake to dry off and start flapping. Then they turn the fish around to reduce drag.

Pelicans ride the lift provided along the windward side of the causeway bridges. Their preferred peed seem a close match to traffic so they are cool to watch at close quarters.

I would be surprised if osprey are going that high to hunt. They seem to hunt lower and their prey would be gone by the time they descended. Perhaps they are gaining altitude to make the commute back home easier by gliding?

[OloteleMtn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izjO...&frags=pl%2Cwn

oops, shark like fish....

[Jim Cate]

Around here, brown pelicans also dive bomb, tuck their wings and drop down mouth first on prey, usually from 50-75 feet up I would guess. Quite a splash.

Oh yeah, I remember watching the Brown pellies dive bombing in fleets in California and Baja enviroms. Great entertainment! But the Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), while being a more elegant sort, just floats around scooping fish up near the surface. Not very entertaining but it seems to work for them... bigger birds than the Browns, too. They don't look very aerodynamic, but fly and glide very gracefully.

And like many seabirds, they can spot someone gutting fish and discarding entrails from an astonishing distance!

Jim

[thomm225]

From my own observation, when they are actively fishing they are low maybe 20' to 50' above the water and many times hoovering........then diving fast

There are usually 2-4 of them working a small lake and spill way on the way to work each morning in Spring through maybe early Fall.

I just have never figured out that "high altitude" afternoon thermal cruising thing. I'm sure they go really high when traveling back South but when I see them they are sort of hanging out at 1500'- 2000' or so in the late afternoons sometimes.

Like has been said, it would be nice to think they are just enjoying the view but since they depend on fish to live they are probably doing some scouting as well if they can see fish that high up

Also sometimes when they are lower you can hear them whistling at each other.

This was a fun novel that included Ospreys that I picked up a few years ago and have read a few times. If interested it's worth reading

https://www.amazon.com/Flight-Osprey...4203596&sr=8-1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqGKX7Eofy4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3RKfT4pUho

[thomm225]

So there were two Ospreys chirping at each other as I left my anchorage on Friday Morning. It was early and they were just cruising over the area of our anchorage checking thing out (me, a big cat, and a Catalina 36 maybe)

Unfortunately, I didn't get to watch them .....but did get some close up looks.

This am the Pelicans came to "work" as usual just like I used to watch them do in Pensacola, FL.

When driving to work, they would be heading for their spot maybe 5-8 in formation......