Osprey, also known as a Fish Hawk with a freshly caught Alewife, which is a type of herring. Phippsburg Maine.
These photos were all taken within five minutes of one another. I was sitting at the mouth of the Kennebec River where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Popham Beach.

Bald eagle, adult chasing an Osprey with a fish, off from Popham Beach, Phippsburg Maine

I felt sorry for the poor fish. That's a long way to fall!

A Double-crested cormorant was flying by. They were also there to catch fish, but they don't steal from others for their dinner.



Herring gulls and Harbor seals, Phippsburg Maine. The gulls had chased an Osprey with a herring, also known as Alewife, until the beleaguered raptor dropped the fish. Then, the gulls fought each other for the purloined catch. One of them was able, miraculously, to snatch it from the drink and take off with it. The Harbor seals watched. They were busy catching their own fish and wondering if someone might drop some fries into the water to go with it. No Grey Poupon served here, only tartar sauce!
FLYday is an homage to what our feathered friends do best, fly.
(It seems fighting, feeding and filching are high on their lists, too!)
Excelente serie de fotografias ..preciosas imagenes
ReplyDeleteMuchas gracias, Berto
ReplyDeletePoor fish...he almost got away. You captured the episode as if it were a video. Great photos! Loved the beautiful daffodils!
ReplyDeleteHG
Great, great photos.Love the eagle and the osprey !!How many people do you think ever see something like that ?? bmc
ReplyDeleteWow!! What a sight and such great captures.Thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteShantana
HG thank you for the compliment about my photojournalistic captures. It tells a whole story in those images. bmc, thanks to you, also. I'm going to guess that more folks see it than get it on 'film' if you will. Good for me! Naturestiop, thank you. I hope everyone gets out of doors this weekend and maybe sees something like this, too!
ReplyDeleteVaya momentazo as conseguido captar con tu camara,enhorabuena.Saludos
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! I love the photographs so much. The photographer took a lot of patient to capture this. The talent is amazing. You did a wonderful job.
ReplyDelete*patience I mean. Sorry.
DeleteGreat stuff great pics... thanks.
ReplyDeletejmac1949
May 25, 2012 08:34 PM
Isidro, Delben and jmac, thanks to you for the views, rates and wonderful compliments. You keep me wanting to do it and get better.
ReplyDeleteYou continue to take my breath away.
ReplyDeleteMission
May 26, 2012 02:38 AM
jmac1949 and Mission, thank you both way too muchy very. I know everyone is really busy, so squeezing in rates and comments is wonderful. I love you all too! You keep me wanting to get these shots.
ReplyDeleteKeep up trying Robin.
ReplyDeleteThese are eye candy to me.
You are a stunning photographer to me.
Mission
May 26, 2012 08:23 AM
Gulls are the Ratso Rizzos of the bird world. Locals here (Cape Ann) know better than to take food to the beach, even in a cooler or zippered bag. Gulls just help themselves. Lucky you, to catch them in the act of a fish mugging!
ReplyDeletegreenheron
May 26, 2012 10:34 AM
Mission, gosh, golly and shucks! Thank you. What more can I say? Thank you, again. XO
ReplyDelete"Fish mugging," ha ha aha, love that, Greenheron, and thank you for the rate and comment.
ReplyDeleteWho needs Grey Poupon, tartar sauce, or French fries. . . Your photographs alone take my breath away and keep me wanting for more, Robin. I have yet to capture a bee on a flower, never mind a bird in flight; your talent is non-pareilled.
ReplyDeleteThank you for such magnificent displays.
R♥
FusunA
May 26, 2012 11:34 AM
Spectacular!
ReplyDeleteBrassawe
Beautiful! :)
ReplyDeleteclay ball
Raptly watching the raptors. You're a terrific - and lucky - photographer, Robin!
ReplyDeleteChicken Mãâàn
May 26, 2012 12:27 PM
I so know the coast when I see images like this.The food chain in full working order there. Thanks for the flighty images, nows wheres the sound track? You know there are some cameras that record three seconds of sound with each image. That would be so cool here.
ReplyDeleteAlgis Kemezys
May 26, 2012 02:45 PM
I have never lost my wonder at th magic of flight and that wonder lives wonderfully in your photos.
ReplyDeleteJan Sand
May 26, 2012 03:46 PM
Wonderful for a weekend post :). And all within five minutes, whew!
ReplyDeleteI could spend all day just watching this stuff, I miss the beach (you need a video camera :).
I lived on the west coast just long enough to learn that while beautiful, gulls are definitely bullies and opportunistic thieves - and those big black backs are really nasty customers (sea lions often fill the same bill in mammalian fashion off the fishing piers). But there you have Nature's adaptation programming in action, which is usually a good thing, for their survival at least :).
Rated for thanks for the heads up, thoroughly enjoyed the show.
Seer
May 26, 2012 06:24 PM
Not a very good day to be a fish, but an awesome day for us to see some more of your work. These are absolutely stunning photos Robin.
ReplyDeleteBoomer Bob
May 26, 2012 06:32 PM
you make me wish I lived near the ocean. God how beautiful it is
ReplyDeletehyblaean- Julie
May 26, 2012 07:30
Wonderful work! Great set of pics!
ReplyDeleteR
Poor Woman
May 26, 2012 07:41 PM
damned dinosaurs, evolution gave em a bird brain,
ReplyDeletebut why/
?
for gettin too big for the room,for
their britches as some old people say.
britces means
britches
[brich-iz] Origin
breeches britch·es
noun ( used with a plural verb )
breeches.
what>?
James M. Emmerling
May 26, 2012 07:42 PM
Jan has brought me here again,and I am glad he did.Your photos are wonderfully beautiful and impressive.How do you manage to take such gorgeous photos?Do the birds have a deal with you like they pose for you and you give them extra treats?Just joking.
ReplyDeleteIt's about time to put you on my list of favourites.
Heidi Banerjee
May 27, 2012 10:57 AM
It says NOTHING about harbor seals in your title. I demand you remove the pictures, lady!
ReplyDeleteWow, your photos continue to amaze and inspire. And, if there's any gear you have you don't use anymore, I would love a photographic "care" package. grin grin wink wink nudge nudge say no more.
I love your regular and wonderful photo essays, Robin. As an avid birder, you provide me with glimpses of these wonderful creatures, most of which I don't get to spot or photograph out here in Central Texas. Thanks!
--r--
dunniteowl
May 27, 2012 05:56 PM
Great capture and wonderful sequence, Robin!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post Robin!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, - perfect for WBW!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos and very interesting to see all that bird action.
ReplyDeleteFantastic images Robin
ReplyDeleteWonderful series, Robin, thanks to your quick "trigger finger"!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome sighting. Great series of photos.
ReplyDeleteNear miraculous set here... That was an inspired 5 minutes of photography!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Great series you appear in wbw. Hanne Bente / hbt.finus.dk
ReplyDeleteamazing series; great catches on your behalf too!
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures. Great Osprey shot.
ReplyDeletewhoa! WHOA! that's a lot of action! poor fish.
ReplyDeletesarah brennan
Late to the party as usual, but so glad to have attended.
ReplyDeleteYou inspired me to get the disc out that tells me how to use all those parts of my camera I have to actually think to use. Thank you! I hope to share in a littlel while some sharper photos than I've been able to get before. You're a true inspiration. And fellow bird freak. Gotta love a bird freak.
I believe those were great black backed gulls stealing from the osprey, not herring gulls.
ReplyDeleteI really like your site and content so much,thanks for sharing the information keep updating, looking forward for more posts.
ReplyDeleteหนังออนไลน์