The Living Landscape: Osprey, bird of prey
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Whether you call it a river hawk, fish hawk or osprey, the sighting of a magnificent bird of prey can transform the moment you view it from a run-of-the-mill, albeit delightful day, to a day of wonder and privilege.
After decades of living here, I can never get over the fact that all of this wildness is always right outside our doors here in Lake County.
Osprey can be viewed in many locations throughout the county. Watch them in action at Rodman Park, Clear Lake State Park and other locales.
At first you hear a loud cry, and then, craning your neck upwards, you do a double-take at the size and height of the osprey 's nest, along with the impressive size of the bird – they range in size from 20 to 26 inches in length.
Nests, which can be constructed of twigs and bark, then lined with algae, grass and vines, can reach a tremendous size after generations of nesting. Some nests reach depths of 10 feet and diameters of 6 feet.
New nests constructed on artificial platforms are considerably smaller, at 2 feet in diameter and only 6 inches deep.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology it's the male osprey who obtains the majority of the nesting material, while the female positions the objects just-so.
The clutch size ranges from one to four eggs, with only one brood. The eggs require a 36- to 42-day incubation period.
The osprey at Clear Lake State Park demonstrate skilled hunting techniques through circling over the creek, honing in on some flash or movement only it can see, then, transforming into a weapon, the osprey launches itself into the creek to spear its prey.
Nesting in the middle of a public park or along a highway gives the impression of a perilous move on the bird's part, but since they nest near bodies of water, such as creeks and lakes they make themselves completely at home there. Their diet consists mainly of fish, with the occasional rodent or reptile thrown in.
Osprey will dive up to 3 feet into water to catch their prey. Their vision has adapted to aid in these underwater fishing expeditions, and they can spot their prey while flying dozens of feet above the water.
An unusual factoid about osprey is that they can be found in a number of habitats, and live on every continent with the exceptions of Antarctica and Australia. Osprey found in South America are migrants, and do not breed there.
The latest osprey nesting pole was installed, as reported by the Lake County News on Aug. 21 at Lakeside County Park in Kelseyville. There you will find informative panels in both English and Spanish that educate the public about the osprey. The panels were commissioned by our local Audubon Society, Redbud Audubon.
For more information visit Redbud Audubon's Web site at https://www.redbudaudubon.org/.
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, freelance writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.”