Osprey vs. Fish — The Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

Photo: Kelly Dean

By Kelly Dean

This is a working title – largely because there isn’t a way to express the happiness one feels when they get a chance to see something they’ve wanted to see for a long time. Some people want to see the Louvre. Some want to see the Sistine Chapel or Venice.

But for guys who like the beach, the water and wildlife, getting to see one of nature’s coolest do what it does best is, well, icing on the cake, especially if you can get it on camera.

Such is the case when you witness a bird of prey actually snag a fish out of the water – and get it on film. I have seen this event twice, but going 60 miles per hour down the highway is no time to grab the camera. But on this occasion, I was shooting something else – a flock of white pelicans – when an osprey swooped out of the sky and nabbed a fish right in front of me – all this while I had a camera in hand. (Spoiler: It comes at the end of the article.)

I once had a close call before that: the osprey swooped down …

Photo: Kelly Dean

… the bird assumed position…

Photo: Kelly Dean

… the bird changed its mind.

Photo: Kelly Dean

Alas, a swing and a miss.

Photo: Kelly Dean

But on this occasion, I got the shot I wanted. Is it perfect? No. But I can’t fathom how many hours I would have to stake out a stretch of water to capture this even on camera. So here it is. I’d like to share it with you.

The grab …