Pandion Haliaetus - Osprey - Flying overhead with a fish in talons, Rotary Park, Brandt's Creek Estuary, Kelowna BC - May 14, 2010.

This beautiful predatory bird has lived in this area for countless generations. The Osprey survives by its unique fishing ability - it flies over bodies of water, including streams and rivers, at great heights, then plunges talons first after a fish that has been scooped out, scooping it up in strong claws to take back to a high view point or back to a nest to munch.

This bird is easily recognized with its two foot long body draped in white feathers on underside (with distinctive black and white stripes) and blackish feathers above. The wing span is about 6 feet which gives it ample lift to pick up a one pound, struggling fish. It has a white head with a black band somewhat like a mask that reaches from the beak root to the back of head. Besides the fish that they almost constantly seem to be looking for, they sometimes can catch small rodents and other, smaller birds to vary their diet.

Nesting sights are usually near to a lake or large river, close to the favorite food, consisting of large sticks bunched together (with a smoother lining of smaller materiel) in a tree notch or on top of a spar tree or piling - they need more or less a platform projecting out of the water to build the nest which they will return to year after year through out the life cycle.