Something New (to Me)

[Castuserraticus]

On a float last week I saw something that amazed me. Most people have likely seen crows, hawks, and eagles harassed by small birds but I saw something real different on a float last week. An osprey came gliding over the river and it looked like it had two heads. A small bird was riding it's back. The bird took off, flew around harassing the osprey, and then appeared to land on the osprey again. I'm uncertain what the smaller bird was. It was about the size of a nuthatch or flycatcher.

 

The osprey did not alter it's flight path. I've seen other large birds attempt evasive manuevers when harassed by smaller birds but the osprey seemed unfazed. The small bird dipped at the osprey a couple of times and then glided down onto its back. It was odd looking behaviour. My friends said they'd seen this before.

[northfork]

That's neat! Ospreys have always fascinated me. ive never seen a smaller bird on one's back, though. everytime i have seen an osprey engage in a fight with other birds, it has been with ravens, crows, bald eagles, and the coolest one ive seen, a blue heron. thats right, a mid-air fight between a great blue heron and an osprey. everytime ive seen multiple birds or a bigger bird go after an osprey it executed an evasive manuevere like you said. i will ask my bird buddy if he knows of this and let you know.

[Jimbo]

On the Missouri River in Montana I once watched a bald eagle take a fish from an Osprey in mid-air. It happened a couple of hundred feet up and was really something to see.

[Hawgstoppah]

I got harassed by ospreys on a small southern stream last week. It was actually pretty amazing. they'd come from this tree screeching and making all sorts of noise, barrelling directly at you, then peel off at the last instant... kinda like getting charged by a bear even! I think they had a nest up in that tree, but the funny thing was even as we got farther from it they'd still come at us. Maybe they just didn't want us fishing "their water".. lol (there were no other footprints here)

 

I have seen small birds pick away at larger ones a lot, but never "hitch a ride" that's pretty cool

[darrinhurst]

Wicked birds. I love watching birds of prey. If I'm lucky, one day, I'll be privileged enough to witness something like this

 

[darrinhurst]

I wonder what kind of trout that is.

 

Brook Trout?

[Swede]

Looks like a brookie to me , awesome photo.

[Taco]

Yup, that's a good brook trout, face full of talons