An Osprey that sat proud on his territorial perch at the Geo. Bush Library and Museum.
In trips there in the past, I saw him riding the thermals overhead and early on in my visit yesterday, I got a surprise glimpse as he made a swift dive into a tree for a Dove. When I was ready to leave and started to the shuttle stop, I saw him sitting on a railing on the second story of the Library. My stool instantly came into open position and sitting down on the stool, the majestic bird was not moving. After sitting there a few moments, he was satisfied that I was not a threat to his territory and began to move as I pointed my camera upward to his perch. A lady that I had spoken with up on the high trail was down on the trail across from my position and with her camera in the upward position now and behind me were two ladies that had their camera out as well. The three of us once again were discussing the Osprey. One said that she had seen me with my camera facing toward the upper story deck and had been the lady that I had ask if she had seen the Osprey earlier, when I tried to get a shot of the unannounced swoop into the tree for the Dove. So seeing me focused on something, she saw the Osprey, also. The other two ladies were talking with me about the process of elimination of what kind of raptor he was.
The Osprey was much to large for it to be a Red shouldered hawk. The next side up would then be a Red Tail and he had no red tail. That left either an Osprey or a Peregrine. Initially, I had thought him to be a Peregrine because of the High Rise Office Tower across US75 from where we were. Then, as each of us departed our discussion group on this magnificent bird, I delayed my closest shuttle stop and walked up the curved stairs up to the grade level at the front of the Museum because the wildflowers were lining the sides as the stairs that went upward and downward. The Museum was getting deliveries made to the front (not normal) because of the 10th Anniversary event this coming weekend. I had to set in front of the truck that parked in the curb lane right in front of the stop. The shuttle would not have seen me had I not set on my little stool in front of the truck. As the shuttle approached, the sign caught my eye. "The Osprey Connection" it read. I think, but will do the research, that the ID of our bird is indeed an Ospsrey. After looking at one I had photographed at White Rock a couple of years ago, I tend to agree now, that the sign just might be able to apply to our bird if not originally intended.
I'll keep you posted. Right now, some of the bugs in the new Blog layout were not working as they should so I had to go back to the old format, at least for now, but I did post the picture of our central character in this post....now, for some of the wildflowers.
