Outdoor Photographer - USA (2020-04)

result in the osprey flying off with only a
single fish for all of its efforts.
From a photographer’s perspective, the
osprey exiting the stream amid a spray of
water droplets with its catch is a wonderful
action shot to be had. As it begins its climb,
several shot opportunities are present,
and one of my favorites is the “wet dog”
shake when the osprey twists vigorously
to rid itself of water from its feathers for
smoother flight.
Ospreys are successful on most of their
dives based on my experience. However,
they’re not home free once they capture
their prey, as they have two thieving com-
petitors: gulls and bald eagles.
A herring gull is similar in size to an
osprey and is very aggressive. While it can
catch fish itself, it will attack an osprey
when it’s still in the water and vulnerable to
rob it of its catch. The bald eagle has a dif-
ferent strategy. It waits until the osprey has

gained some altitude before it attacks. The

eagle will fly up under the osprey, forcing it

higher and higher until the osprey tires and

drops the fish, which the eagle will then

snag in mid-air. Sometimes another eagle

will join the fun and attempt stealing the

fish from the eagle that just stole it.

Photographing The Scene

Here are some tips to capture shots like

those shown in this article. The fish are

typically most numerous with the incoming

tide; check the tide table for the stream

that you’re near. You may be several miles

inland, so plan for the additional time it

takes for the tide to move upstream.

Seek out a position on the river with good

over-the-shoulder lighting. Also, being at

the water’s edge or nearby to get a low

shooting angle is beneficial. Be aware of

the background to avoid distracting ele-

ments like bridges, buildings, houses and

especially other photographers.

As with any wildlife shoot, be patient

since unpredictability is part of the chal-

lenge. Sometimes there are osprey but no

fish running, or no osprey but fish are run-

ning, or neither osprey nor fish present.

Then there’s that time when everything

comes together, like the day I counted 17

ospreys in the air hovering and circling as

they scanned the water for fish. It was an

excess of riches because for a successful

shot you need to watch one osprey and

focus on it as it begins its dive and then

follow it to the water. With so many ospreys

present, it was inevitable that some great

shot opportunities would be missed.

I used to be amused when I’d see a pro-

fessional photographer carrying multiple

cameras. Well, I’m no longer laughing,

as the right tools are needed for the job.

I prefer high-frame-rate (10 fps or more)

cameras that will yield more wing posi-

tions in a sequence. This gives you a better

chance to obtain the ideal shot, as some

wing positions are more pleasing to the eye.

I can be found in the field photographing

ospreys fishing with a big telephoto lens on

a tripod, a telephoto zoom lens on a diago-

nal strap and a wide-angle zoom around my

neck. Thus, I can cover a range of 24mm to

1120mm. I never know what circumstances

may occur with the intended subjects or

if an unexpected animal may make an

appearance. While I may be looking for

wildlife, a great landscape shot might pres-

ent itself, too. I use three camera bodies,

The osprey performs a “wet dog”
shake to shed water to ensure smooth
and efficient flight. Canon EOS-1D X
Mark II, Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L
IS USM Extender 1.4x at 560mm.
Exposure: 1/2500, ƒ/6.3, ISO 6400.

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