I believe an Osprey is a rare sighting in Aus Pete.
Same here in UK, but thankfully from practically non-existent to over 200 nesting pairs today, a summer nesting visitor that all UK birders want to see.
A side story …. the first time I visited Kenya, I was amazed to see so many perched in every second tree down the beach, I went from couldn’t take my eyes off amazement to common as muck just another Osprey in a short few days.
I only ever saw one once in the UK, up in Scotland. Then like you, i am walking along the surf line at Daytona beach florida and they were very common fishing in the surf, with a line of Pelicans patiently waiting for anything they dropped.
I’ve seen Osprey in USA around the Minnesota lakes & the beaches in Florida. I was not aware they visited Australia, so that was a surprise. I was surprised to see them on the east coast of South Africa many years ago, I hadn’t realised they migrated that far, I’d assumed the European/Russian birds only went as a far as central east & west Africa to over winter.
There are a number of Osprey sub-species, the European & American nesting species is Pandion haliaetus listed as the Western Osprey. The Eastern Osprey Pandion cristatus is the species found in Australia.
Juvenile / female Ruff yesterday, distant views. We had an Osprey stay for a couple of weeks in 2012, thought to be a Scandinavian bird off-course. We have had fly over sightings since, but they didn’t stay. There are tracking schemes in the UK and the progress of migrating Osprey can be tracked. Upton Warren, Worcestershire. In 2012 the bird took fish from the sailing pool, which is freshwater and flew to the saline pool where there are no fish, to eat it.
I’ve looked at RSPB, BTO & other info on population trends & it looks like it is growing.
Scottish birds are most successful, the Rutland birds have done OK & have spread to a few Welsh locations.
The sole southern England pair in Poole Harbour look to be well established since 2019.
It seems to me that Osprey breeding success rate is not as prolific as other raptors, numbers of things working against such as; 1 or maybe 2 chicks & not every year, compounded with their treacherous migratory journeys, the first juvenile migration especially, followed by juvenile to adult period survival, then making (& finding) their way back to their original natal area.
Thanks Mike,
Just looking at my local area, numbers do seem a bit lower than last year. Certainly down a few pairs. That said they may have gone elsewhere, but can’t be sure as not all past nesting birds have been tagged.
This pigeon landed on the bench right next to me whilst I was enjoying a glass of bubbly in the Abbey grounds (Bury St Edmunds) and it has such a beautiful iridescent plumage:
If anyones interested …… I looked up the money involved in racing pigeons. Amazed to read the top price paid for a bird was $1,900,000 (USD), it was a Belgium bred hen bird, bought by a Chinese enthusiast in 2020.
What’s that strange green stuff the bird is standing on ???
They & the ants they feed on are having a real problem in my area.
Normally we would always have them on the grass around the house, kicking up a hell of a din at first light calling the youngsters to come feed. But my grass is brown & the predominantly clay ground is like concrete.
The woodpeckers are still around, still yaffling away at dawn in the nearby trees, but they now appear to be feeding around the softer & watered allotments just up the hill