Nesting Osprey at Honeymoon Island State Park

The Osprey Nature Trail at Honeymoon Island State Park (Dunedin, FL), always a birder’s paradise, comes alive this time of year with the nesting season of some of its largest avian inhabitants. Each year the trail takes on the look of an outdoor photography studio, with photographers of all levels, from point-and-click, to outfits that require a golf bag or similar apparatus to haul down the trail, making their way along to get that special photograph.
The questions are similar each year: “Have the eagles nested yet?” and “Does anyone know where the Great Horned Owls are nesting this year?”. No one asks about the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). With so many nests, they call, swoop, and fly everywhere on the trail.
We watched several pairs patching their nests, coming back with fish, and even squawking a bit at others when they flew too close. The Osprey catches fish in its talons, swooping down into the water and taking off again. They always fly with the fish positioned with the head first.
I photographed a series of shots of this nest. One Osprey went fishing and brought the catch back to the nest for his mate. He spent a lot of time calling and flying before finally heading into the nest.