{"id":158106,"date":"2025-09-27T06:14:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T11:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=158106"},"modified":"2025-09-27T06:31:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T11:31:44","slug":"hatch-year-osprey-migrating-through-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/09\/27\/hatch-year-osprey-migrating-through-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","title":{"rendered":"Hatch Year Osprey Migrating Through Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge"},"content":{"rendered":"

My best find at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/a> in Oklahoma yesterday was a migrating hatch year Osprey perched in the dead trees at Miner\u2019s Cove.<\/p>\n

\"HatchHatch year Osprey at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge \u2013 Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 1250, +1.0 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I had arrived at Miner\u2019s Cove before the sun rose over the horizon to eat my breakfast. Then I saw an unexpected shape high in the trees that I recognized right away. What I didn\u2019t realize until there was enough light was that the Osprey was a hatch year bird.<\/p>\n

The first photos I took of the young Osprey weren\u2019t up to my standards because of the low light. I drove around for a bit, then headed back to Miner\u2019s Cove hoping the Osprey had stuck around, and she or he had.<\/p>\n

I was able to get a few photos of the Osprey in good light before they lifted off and flew toward Lower Scarborough Slough.<\/p>\n

Ospreys are typically only seen at the refuge during migration, so I\u2019m delighted and thrilled that I was able to see and photograph this hatch year Osprey there.<\/p>\n

I should also note that the refuge sustained some damage this past week due to wind and weather events. Quite a few older, large trees came down, but the refuge staff has already cleared the roads.<\/p>\n

There is also a lot of water where it had dried out over the summer.<\/p>\n

I saw other birds at the refuge but wanted to share a photo of the hatch year Osprey this morning. Hatch year Ospreys often have orangish eyes and a more mottled or scaled look on their back and wings because of pale edges on their feathers.<\/p>\n

Maybe the young Osprey will stick around the refuge for a couple of days. I sure hope so, but I can\u2019t say for sure.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Osprey photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My best find at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma yesterday was a migrating hatch year Osprey perched in the dead trees at Miner\u2019s Cove.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158103,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,13973,466,13974],"tags":[13984,10422,4415,5381,4067,3946,530,14047,3992,6784,4189,4104,4063,13976,8453,4193],"class_list":["post-158106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-oklahoma","category-ospreys","category-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge","tag-bottomlands","tag-dead-tree","tag-fish-hawk","tag-hatch-year","tag-immature","tag-migrating","tag-migration","tag-miners-cove","tag-osprey","tag-ospreys","tag-pandion-haliaetus","tag-perched","tag-raptor","tag-slough","tag-snag","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/osprey-young-sequoyah-nwr-ma-mcpherson-8938.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-F86","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":142010,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/03\/26\/immature-white-throated-sparrow-at-miners-cove\/","url_meta":{"origin":158106,"position":0},"title":"Immature White-throated Sparrow At Miner’s Cove","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"For the first time ever, two days ago, I took a photo at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma of an immature White-throated Sparrow that I actually liked.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature White-throated Sparrow in a shrub at Miner's Cove, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/white-throated-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-0591.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/white-throated-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-0591.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/white-throated-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-0591.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/white-throated-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-0591.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":173655,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2026\/03\/31\/surprise-american-bittern-at-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":158106,"position":1},"title":"Surprise American Bittern At Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 31, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"While I was driving near Miner's Cove at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge yesterday, I saw and photographed a surprise American Bittern right after the bird crossed the dirt road.","rel":"","context":"In "American Bitterns"","block_context":{"text":"American Bitterns","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/wading-birds\/american-bitterns\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Staring American Bittern portrait, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/american-bittern-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-2247.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/american-bittern-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-2247.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/american-bittern-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-2247.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/american-bittern-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-2247.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":166199,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/12\/27\/christmas-day-great-blue-heron-and-turtle-at-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":158106,"position":2},"title":"Christmas Day Great Blue Heron And Turtle At Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"On Christmas Day I photographed a Great Blue Heron and a turtle in Miner's Cove at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. 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2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This gorgeous Red-headed Woodpecker was perched on a branch when I photographed it on May 21st at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spring Red-headed Woodpecker adult, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-headed-woodpecker-branch-mia-mcpherson-6894.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-headed-woodpecker-branch-mia-mcpherson-6894.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-headed-woodpecker-branch-mia-mcpherson-6894.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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