Osprey Action at the Fill

Yesterday morning I went to the Montlake Fill to check on the Ospreys.  Construction is starting this week on the new wetlands area, and access will be blocked on weekdays.

I paused at the Main Pond to watch the Barn and Tree Swallows swooping around there, when I heard the distinct cry of an Osprey.  I looked up to see one circling:

Then a second Osprey appeared -- they circled around together quite closely but without any aggressive behavior.  I was concerned at first that this was the nesting pair -- one of them should always be on the eggs.   I quickly headed over to the nest platform, where I was relieved to see an Osprey poke its head up.  Whew!

The two circling Osprey flew out of sight.  I chatted with a birder friend by the nest platform for a while, until we heard that cry again -- and looked up to see one Osprey being harassed by a Bald Eagle.

Just as I snapped these shots, a Cliff Swallow zipped past below.

Then the Osprey  had enough, and turned on the eagle.

It's very  hard to get photos with my little camera of birds far away who are moving quickly -- I was thrilled to get a few that came out okay.  This last one is the most blurry, but I include it because it shows the fabulous way the eagle turned upside down in flight to show its talons to the Osprey.

The battle continued for several minutes until the eagle gave up and disappeared from view, while the Osprey flew into a tree near the nest platform for a well-deserved rest.

It was great to be in the right place at the right time!