It is late September and Ospreys are migrating south to locations such as Costa Rica and Venezuela. Ospreys migrate as individuals — not as a flock or even as pairs. Adults depart first leaving juveniles to find their own way, often weeks later. Most of the ospreys around for the next couple of weeks will be juveniles. These are birds that will only return as adults in two or three years. So, now is the time to see the distinctive markings of the juvenile.
Three features distinguish the juvenile from the adult:
• Feathers atop the wing are edged with white. It is imperfectly seen here owing to the oblique view of the top of the left wing. It is more evident in a shot from an earlier year, riveting orange.
• The adult’s eyes are yellowish; the juvenile’s eyes are somewhat orangish.
• The juvenile’s breast is buff, a feature that fades within weeks.
A juvenile Osprey was hanging out in the vicinity of its nest, although its parents seemed to be long gone. In response to a nearby human, an adult would usually fly away, but when this juvenile spotted me walking along the beach, it twice circled close overhead. Maybe it is still exploring the features of its new world.
We’ve enjoyed the webcam 2 kms downstream from Nelson observing the osplets hatch, grow & now fend for themselves as parents are already on their way to their winter “resort”.
What a beautiful creature captured with a perfectly timed photo. Well done Alistair!