There's something fishy about descriptions of Ospreys

Three Eastern Ospreys with a fish each. No sharing now, after months of the male keeping female and and advanced juvenile fed in their nest close to the road barely 500m into the Town Common Conservation Park. One of the three should have  slightly brighter eyes, just a wee bit golden say. And one, the male, should have lighter, less darkly streaked and shallower breast banding or bib. The juvenile should have feathers fringed with white. Says so in the books.  But in the real world things not so clearcut. So, three with fish each, two on nest, one flying off, as will they all - likely not too far. Take your pick for the ID task I've left to you.  Or not. Just enjoy another of nature's little puzzles.

 

 

Much better late than never from overdue Ospreys

Weeks after I gave up on them, pair of Eastern Ospreys have produced the goods. The two pairs of pale yellow-eyed birds at the nest with a gold-yellow-eyed juvenile suddenly on show. Why so late? Who knows, perhaps one or two eggs laid in first week or weeks on the nest failed. Maybe no laying at all in first weeks of female sitting on and fiddling with nest. Anyway, I've offered my apologies to the pair. Another humbling brush with the facts of life. Seems we're never too old to get these things wrong. Above: Juvenile, on left, obscures third bird.

Other raptors up in the air lately include Brown Goshawk, seen above at other end of the Town Common, Townsville, before tangling with Brahminy Kite. And below, Brahminy with snatch and grab on its mind.