Misty Lake - Osprey Pandion haliaetus

The osprey is a bird of lakes or coastal bays. I have seen them in Australia, Baja California and Florida; but the typical place in my mind would be one of the myriad lakes of the forested north country.

Of course, the key ingredient of where they live would be fish. Indeed, they are sometimes called "fish hawks". They virtually always take live fish, unlike the bald eagle which may eat dead fish or carrion. They fly above the lake looking for fish near the surface. They then usually hover, closing their wings in a dive at the last minute. They reach forward with their long legs and grasp the fish in their extra large feet which are set with hundreds of little pointed nodules for holding the slippery prey.

I have shown this bird on a misty day flying near the surface, perhaps after a near miss. They have many more misses than direct hits. It is banking for a turn showing the prominent dark brown 'wrist' patches and the joint in the wings.