A beautiful Osprey has been spotted from the house up above the bend of the river it was getting chased and harressed by two crows trying to get it to move on.

Ospreys are superb fishers and indeed eat little else—fish make up some 99 percent of their diet. Because of this appetite, these birds can be found near ponds, rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways around the world. Ospreys hunt by diving to the water's surface from some 30 to 100 feet (9 to 30 meters) up. They have gripping pads on their feet to help them pluck fish from the water with their curved claws and carry them for great distances. In flight, ospreys will orient the fish headfirst to ease wind resistance.

Ospreys are sometimes confused with bald eagles, but can be identified by their white underparts. Their white heads also have a distinctive black eyestripe that goes down the side of their faces. Eagles and ospreys frequent similar habitats and sometimes battle for food. Eagles often force osprey to drop fish that they have caught and steal them in midair.

Human habitat is sometimes an aid to the osprey. The birds happily build large stick-and-sod nests on telephone poles, channel markers, and other such locations. Artificial nesting platforms are common in areas where preservationists are working to reestablish the birds. North American osprey populations became endangered in the 1950s due to chemical pollutants such as DDT, which thinned their eggshells and hampered reproduction. Ospreys have rebounded significantly in recent decades, though they remain scarce in some locales.

Most ospreys are migratory birds that breed in the north and migrate south for the winter. They lay eggs (typically three), which both parents help to incubate. Osprey eggs don't hatch all at once, but are staggered in time so that some siblings are older and more dominant. When food is scarce these stronger birds may take it all and leave their siblings to starve.

 

Common Buzzard

Spotted high in the sky further up river from Quivey Lough

The buzzard, although not a native of the Eastern Counties, is apt to appear in both Lincolnshire and Norfolk from time to time. Basically this, our largest and most graceful bird of prey, prefers wooded hillsides, and is mostly found in Wales and Scotland. However, it does turn up in the most unexpected localities, and it is as well to acquaint ourselves with it. The buzzard is easily distinguished from all other species of hawk by its size alone. The wingspan may vary between 48 inches to 60 inches with a body length of some 20 inches. Its plumage is a rich brown, with lighter markings beneath. In flight the wings have a ragged, moth-like appearance as this bird glides to and fro at a tremendous height. It is a slow flier, and has little chance of catching its prey on the move. The usual tactics which it adopts is to perch motionless on a branch of a large tree, its markings being excellent camouflage, rendering it almost invisible. It is a patient bird, quite content to sit for hours at a time until a young rabbit, a rat or a mouse chances to pass beneath it. Then it will swoop down on to its unsuspecting prey. The 'mewing' of the buzzard is unmistakable as it soars in the sky, calling frequently. Wood pigeons and songsters flee at its appearance, yet rarely do they fall prey to this large hawk. For many years this bird was persecuted by game preservers who believed that it was detrimental to both pheasants and partridges. However, seldom does it bother with game, although if a poult happens to venture close to where it is lying in wait, it will swoop down on it. Yet, the buzzard does not exist in such numbers for it to be a constant danger to the game preserves, and quite rightly it has been placed upon the list of protected birds. Fortunately, at this present time, buzzards are on the increase. Extinction was feared during the crisis years of myxomatosis when this bird's staple diet was almost non-existent. However, as the rabbit population re-established itself, so did the buzzard. The buzzard will also feed on carrion, a fact that often brings the blame on to it for a killing for which it was not responsible. Sometimes a buzzard will attack new-born lambs, particularly if the ewe is unable to defend its young, but mostly it feeds on the natural casualties of a lambing season. All too often the distressed shepherd does not realise that this is the case and unjustly (and illegally!) persecutes this bird of prey. 

 

The Otter ( Dobharchú)

The otter was spotted along the riverbank at the bottom of the garden, and it also ran across the deck in front of the house late one night.

Otters have long, slim bodies and relatively short limbs, with webbed paws. Most have sharp claws on their feet, and all except the sea otter have long muscular tails.

They have a very soft, insulated underfur which is protected by their outer layer of long guard hair. This traps a layer of air, and keeps them dry and warm under water.

Many otters live in cold waters and have very high metabolic rates to help keep them warm. Eurasian otters must eat 15% of their body-weight a day, and sea otters 20 to 25%, depending on the temperature. In water as warm as 10°C (50°F) an otter needs to catch 100 grams (3 oz) of fish per hour to survive. Most species hunt for 3 to 5 hours a day, and nursing mothers up to 8 hours a day.

For most otters, fish is the primary staple of their diet. This is often supplemented by frogs, crayfish and crabs.[2] Some otters are expert at opening shellfish, and others will feed on available small mammals or birds. Prey-dependence leaves otters very vulnerable to prey depletion.

Otters are very active, chasing prey in the water or searching the beds of rivers, lakes or the seas. Most species live beside water, entering it mainly to hunt or travel, otherwise spending much of their time on land to avoid their fur becoming waterlogged. The sea otter does live in the sea for most of its life.

Otters are playful animals and appear to engage in various behaviors for sheer enjoyment. Different species vary in their social structure, with some being largely solitary, while others live in groups – in a few species these groups may be fairly large.

 

The Kingfisher