Photographing Osprey at the nest had not been at the top of my ‘to do’ list earlier this year. It was only when a colleague from the south contacted me wanting to photograph Ospreys that I decided there was an opportunity not to be missed. Also there was the added attraction of being able to work at a local eyrie from a hide placed on the ground. This was a far cry from last time I photographed ospreys at the nest, some ten years back when still working on film. Then it was necessary to drag a scaffold pylon through the forest and build up eight metres to get a hide on a level with the eyrie.

Female Osprey returning to the nest

Ospreys in the rain

Male Osprey returning with his catch

Female starting to feed a large Mackerel to her young

The male Osprey arriving at the nest with a Mackerel, despite the eyrie being close to two large inland lochs the Ospreys showed a strong preference for sea food. To get to the sea involved the male in a more than a thirty mile round trip to the nearest sea loch. Flounders and Sea Trout were other species regularly preyed upon by the Ospreys.

The female osprey continued to divide up the catch between her young well after the eldest one was on the wing.

Once all of the young Ospreys were all on the wing it became a matter of first come first served every time the male Osprey delivered his catch back to the eyrie.

Young Osprey