{"id":83073,"date":"2021-04-01T05:28:19","date_gmt":"2021-04-01T11:28:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=83073"},"modified":"2025-05-20T09:53:17","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T14:53:17","slug":"utahs-ospreys-are-back-for-their-nesting-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/04\/01\/utahs-ospreys-are-back-for-their-nesting-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Utah’s Ospreys Are Back For Their Nesting Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FemaleFemale and male Ospreys on their nest \u2013 Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I was hoping to find my first of the year Swainson’s Hawks yesterday but instead I spotted my first of year Ospreys.<\/p>\n

I am always looking for birds. It does not matter where I am or what I am doing. I can be at home, in the field, or zooming along the Interstate. I look and listen for birds.<\/p>\n

On the way home from Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I looked to see what large birds might be in the trees at Willard Bay State Park<\/span><\/a> and I also checked out the nesting platforms that were installed there a few years ago. It was precisely 09:45 a.m. when I saw not one but two Ospreys on one of the nesting platforms and they were mating!<\/p>\n

I didn’t get any photos of course because I was on the road zooming along at 75 mph but I was excited to see that Utah’s Ospreys are back for the breeding season.<\/p>\n

\"WatchfulWatchful Osprey \u2013 Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/750, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light, not baited\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that I know the Ospreys are back I will start to keep my living room window open a bit to see if I can hear them calling<\/span><\/a> at my local pond. Sometimes they stop at the pond for a day or two on migration and I’d love to get photos of them there. Or anywhere.<\/p>\n

Seeing and hearing Ospreys always makes me happy.<\/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

The top photo was taken at Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area<\/span><\/a> in 2012. The bottom Osprey photo was taken at Honeymoon Island State Park<\/span><\/a> in Florida in 2008.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was hoping to find my first of the year Swainson’s Hawks yesterday but instead I spotted my first of year Ospreys.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":145548,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,3464,981,25,468,466,2000,26],"tags":[4004,4897,4070,4415,4390,37,4062,4075,2132,4450,3992,6784,4189,4104,4063,11313,5733],"class_list":["post-83073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-daggett-county","category-flaming-gorge-national-recreation-area","category-florida","category-honeymoon-island-state-park","category-ospreys","category-pinellas-county-florida","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-branch","tag-female","tag-fish-hawk","tag-flaming-gorge-reservoir","tag-florida-2","tag-male","tag-nest","tag-nesting-platform","tag-nesting-season","tag-osprey","tag-ospreys","tag-pandion-haliaetus","tag-perched","tag-raptor","tag-sea-hawk","tag-watchful"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t