For those who may have thought Ryukyu Mike was loosing it when I sat down by the river with my hands full BIRDWATCHING IN JAPAN the other day I'm going to show you what it's all about.
This Wildlife Essay is a ten photo series of shots taken at the Okukubi River in Okinawa, Japan on Feburary 5th, 2011. The Osprey showed up and grabbed his take out lunch so fast, I wasn't ready for him.
This is what an Osprey looks like when he spots a fish a few thousand yards below. It is 1:43PM and he is in the dive mode.
The tripod is going to slow me down so, I rip the camera off of it and look for where the bird made a big splash. At this point I am using the camera handheld and panning on the bird. I have no idea whether he caught a fish or not. I just concentrate on keeping a lead on the bird as he moves.
Once he leaves the water, he takes off along the opposite bank of the river. Next, I know he'll head to the pine trees.
They get away from the water as quickly as they can. The fish struggles while the Osprey tries to turn it around in his talons.
With the fish facing headfirst, the Osprey reduces wind resistance and can fly faster. Many times during this maneuver, the fish gets dropped. If it is over water, the fish gets away. We have a smart Osprey here.
He's away from the water and gaining altitude but, still trying to get that stubborn fish to face forward and enjoy the ride.
If you were on your last flight wouldn't you think it'd be kinda cool to see where you were going ?
The Osprey is starting to gain some altitude and the fish is starting to wear out. It's still 1:43PM.
It must be kinda hard flapping your wings and trying to wrestle an uncooperative fish at the same time.
Here it looks like all the passengers are settled down and the Osprey starts flapping with all his might.
Still 1:43PM. I'll have to see if I can get that second hand on my camera fixed.
Before you know it, the Osprey and his take out fish dinner are up in the top of the pines and out of sight.
It is 1:44PM. The only thing that could go wrong now would be Mrs. Osprey yappin' about, "What took you so long and where's the Tartar Sauce"?
Now, there's no award winning photos in this Wildlife Photo Essay because I wasn't prepared.
But, the next time it's a nice sunny day and I happen to be down by the river, I'll be ready.
The Osprey can spend one minute or just twenty seconds grabbing his Take Out Fish for lunch.
I'll light their eyeballs up for you !
Have a look at photos of wildlife, festivals and travel sites here. Sharing tips for travelers with a twist of humor is part the life I enjoy in Okinawa, Japan. Photos and text Copyright © Michael Lynch. All photos contain traced digital watermarks. You may contact:http://www.ryukyulife.com/ for licensing.
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