"NO LONGER NEST BOUND"

Osprey (Immature) - 10 Photos

Who doesn't like a sunny day but the day when the photos that follow were taken, was overcast with a hint of sunshine behind the clouds. Blue skies make for a great background but cloud cover slightly illuminated with light can provide striking contrast and definition within the subjects, whether it be landscape photography or wildlife. And there are subtle changes in even this lighting as the photos were obtained over a period of almost three hours. 

The three young Ospreys at this particular nest have now all fledged, the last one (and most likely the youngest) probably only just over a week ago. Over time, I eventually lost track of who was who as each one left home and explored the skies & trees. However, I am certain that the photos below are of the oldest two of the three, i.e. the first two that fledged.

There was flying from and back to the nest (Photo #1 through Photo #3). 

That was followed by landing on bare nearby branches (Photo #4 through Photo #7). 

And with all that exercise, came some time spent scratching & stretching (Photo #8 & Photo #9). The final photo (Photo #10) is an open mouth pose due to chirping, exposing the young Osprey's tongue. But what I find more endearing is the brown feather pattern in the middle of his/her chest which resembles small hearts.

PHOTO #1

PHOTO #2

PHOTO #3

PHOTO #4

PHOTO #5

PHOTO #6

PHOTO #7

PHOTO #8

PHOTO #9

PHOTO #10