THE OSPRY RETURNS

Last year at this time I put some pictures here on this blog of a pair of Ospry's who were rearing their young on the Tennessee River below Watts Bar Dam. I went back last week to see if they would use the same nest. Sure enough, they were hard at work repairing the old nest. It is the same pair. I have looked closely at last years pictures and compared markings on their breast's and wings. I watched these two birds for almost two hours harvesting sticks for the reinforcement of the nest. They would not fly away together. One bird would always stay and place the stick that the other bird would bring. Each took a turn on the wind. The larger of the two birds returned one time with a fish that supplied dinner for the pair. I can't wait for the young to hatch. I will try my best to capture their first flight. I am still trying to film the Bald Eagles on the Little Tennessee River. They are elusive, but they are on the nest also. They also are using the same nest as last year. These great birds inspire me and at times I get a quickening of the pulse. They truly are magnificent to behold in the wild. I want to enjoy them------------------while we still have them. At the present rate of human encroachment; who knows how long they have. The king of this lake has returned. His mate has rested uneasilly on an adjacent limb for him. He is magnificent!

She has waited and waited. And finally he has arrived.

He is carefully picking up sticks in the nest and placing them in strategic positions for strength and support.

Look out below! His mate awaits uneasily on her perch.

He will circle the nest until his mate vacates the nest bowl and gives him room to land with his heavy stick for nest building.

Preparing for lift off to go in search of food and sticks

Coming in for a landing to help his mate lay some vital sticks into place on the edge of the nest

A very weary king