One of the neat things about being an Alabama saltwater fishing guide is being able to witness wild birds and marine mammals in a natural setting. I have always known about Alabama’s raptor birds and have seen many of them at a distance for years. I have seen Bald Eagles, Hawks, Owls and Ospreys for years but always kept my distance. I do not want to do anything that would upset them or cause them any stress.
When driving around Gulf State Park and surrounding areas, you often see their nests in a single dead tree or on an old telephone pole with a box on the top.
On May 5, 2009, while deep sea fishing south of Orange Beach some 15 miles, I noticed a large bird of Prey circling our charter fishing boat. I thought for a second it was a large Seagull but I was wrong. It was an Osprey. We also call them Fish Hawks. I lost sight of him and then saw him floating in the water. He flew up and landed on my tuna tower. That is where I got some good pictures.
After a little research, I found out they are called Pandion Haliaetus by scientists. Ospreys have a hooked beak and big feet with sharp talons. The hooked beak and sharp claws help the Ospreys catch and eat their food.
Osprey’s have the unique ability to hover over their prey until they decide to dive in and catch it. I have heard that raptors like these often drown because they catch fish that are larger than they can carry, thus keeping them in the water. Their claws are long (1” to 1 ½”) and do not retract from the fish they are catching.
They also have waterproof feathers that repel water. That makes sense because they catch their food in the water. Most of the Ospreys that I have seen are searching for food over water. They do eat frogs and snakes. I have seen some of them flying with squirrels hanging from their talons. I guess they were giving those little furry friends a ride to the market.
The pictures on this page were taken from my wheelhouse. He sat on my anchor on the front of my boat and took a long nap on the ride in.
They do have some beautiful yellow eyes. You can see in the up close pictures the real beauty of the Alabama Fish Hawk.
When we arrived close to shore, he flew off toward land. It is days like this that I really appreciate my job and nature. I thank God for giving me the ability to see and recognize beauty and appreciate it.