Happy Birthday MargaretK

Here's looking at you, kid.

Hope you have a great birthday!

Thanks Marna. So far so good. Love the osprey.

Happy Happy Birthday Dear Margaret!! Hope it is great one...and have a glass of wine for me!!

Thanks Rose. Instead of wine, could I have an icecream? I never make a mess with it!

Missed the big day, don't stop by very often anymore. Hope it was a memorable day for you, Margaret.

Hi GP. Good to hear from you. Thanks for the birthday wishes. It was indeed a good day.

Yep... I missed it too,
I hope your special day was blessed!

Karen

Thanks, Karen.

Happy Birthday, Margaret. Sorry to have missed the big day !. Hope you are doing well.

Hi Linth. I'm doing very well. I hope you are, too. Fantastic photo of the triplets.

What's their story?

Do I spy pokeweed in that nest?

Margaret, I'm doing fine. This nest is several hundred feet out into the Chesapeake Bay. They have been excellent parents through the years always raising two to three young. I should spend a lot more time photographing them especially once they fledge. But, I don't. They appear to often play in the water. I have never seen this behavior elsewhere. They certainly were not fishing.

Mrs, Ed, I'm not very good at identifying weeds. It could be Pokeweed but I don't recall seeing any berries. I think they planted it there to shield their young from the hot afternoon sun. Of course as it grows it begins to hinder photography efforts at the nest. Even though it is fairly close to my house, I only visited it twice this past year.

Fantastic series. Love that swimming osprey. ha.

I have lens envy, Charlie. What fabulous photos. Look at the eye contact on that last one! Brilliant! Those weeds sure are restricting the view into the nest. Is the nest on a tree or has it been built on an artificial platform?

Margaret, it is a man-built platform .... very well constructed. The first two photos give you some perspective. The local State Park built this viewing platform right along the Bay so people can observe the waterbirds, sailboats and large boats that are coming into or leaving the Port of Baltimore. It's ideal for a photographer. It has seating and provides adequate shade. The breeze from the Bay adds to the summer pleasure. I only go in the afternoon because by then the Sun is behind me.

I always felt that the last photo tells a real story, at least to me. The parents are on the edge of the platform looking pensively out over the expansive Bay and feeling the exhilaration of having just raised their three healthy children playing in the background. In a another way, it is sad because the family will soon break up and go their separate ways not knowing how the other is doing. But, that is the life of the Osprey.

So sorry I'm late Margaret.
Hope you had a wonderful Birthday! (((hugs)))

Thanks for the birthday wishes and the hugs, Pelle. I had a lovely day.

Charlie, I agree about the last photo. It's beautiful. All your shots are beautiful. Do you still go to Conowingo Dam for the Bald Eagles?

Thanks, Margaret. Yes, I have been visiting the Conowingo Dam. It's that time of the year. I'm still in search of that one shot that has eluded me over the past 7 years. I don't know what it is. I'll only know when I see it. I haven't been as often as compared to previous years. Word has really spread and it's often difficult to get a place to park and then find a decent spot to set up. Especially weekends. Fortunately, I can go during the week. I've taken so many photos it is a task to just sort through them. And, as you might expect, many look alike. And my image file size is about 40 megapixels.

Here's a juvenile that I took on Tuesday. Looks like a zoo photo but I assure you it was only a 15-20 feet away. I prefer to keep a little distance in case he decides to give me a present. I generally pass up most still or "portrait" shots.

Have a nice weekend .......

Wow, Charlie, that is close. I still can't resist portrait shots, but I am becoming a little more disciplined. You have a good weekend, too.