Osprey on Blue Cypress Lake

This is the dock at Middleton's Fish Camp (Vero Beach, FL) at sunrise.  We rent pontoon boats and drift among the Cypress trees, photographing the Ospreys.

I discovered this place last year with my photography group and I had to come back again this year.  What an amazing place.  Blue Cypress Lake is home thousands of Osprey and it is such a great time to photograph them. 

I love the eyes of the Osprey.  The adults eyes are yellow, the chicks are orange.

The chicks stole my heart a long time ago.  The Osprey is probably my favorite bird.  The chicks are beautiful and charismatic.

I love to go to Middleton's Fish Camp, and look forward to going again next year.

Osprey - Birds of Prey

Shots like these were so thrilling to get.  They don't seem to put those fish down once they get one.  They fly around with it and take it in and out of the nest.  If they leave it, another bird will take it. 

The talons on these Osprey are amazing, and it is a lot of fun to watch them - and try to photography them.

Ospreys - Blue Cypress Lake

I couldn't resist, I had to go back to Blue Cypress Lake and shoot those Ospreys again.  And this time, I was trying out my new camera. I bought the Canon 7D and am loving it.

It was just as fantastic the second time. 

  

A few chicks are still in their nest.  Those not strong enough to migrate will stay for the summer.

Some Ospreys are here all year, but others migrate from South America.

  

Young Ospreys on Blue Cypress Lake

I took so many Osprey shots on Blue Cypress Lake, I thought I'd post a few babies here.  A lot of the chicks were fairly "old" and I was told they would only be nesting along the lake shore for another week, maybe two.  

The chicks still have white markings on their feathers.

Ospreys on Blue Cypress Lake

My photography group had an outing (May 2010) which was photographing the Ospreys on Blue Cypress Lake in Vero Beach, FL.  There were thousands of them, we shot for hours.

I took 1,300 photos! It was so much fun, everyone was in awe - at the number of Ospreys, the beautiful setting, a sunny day, and the chance to continually shoot all morning.

It was a beautiful day on Blue Cypress Lake.  It was full of Ospreys - in flight, in trees, in nests, you name it, they were everywhere.  We couldn't believe it.

This is just a few shots, it was hard to choose a few when I had so many.  Great souvenirs of a fantastic day.

Blue Cypress Lake

This is Blue Cypress Lake in Vero Beach, FL.  Appropriately named, Cypress trees line the lake, but what's interesting is that Ospreys build their nests here.  It is full of Ospreys, someone estimated 1,000 of them.

My photography group had an outing here an it was absolutely fantastic.  We went out on these pontoon boats and drifted through the area. If you look closely at the picture below, you can see one resting at the top of the tree.

We just drifted through the Cypress trees, shooting nonstop and enjoying ourselves immensely. 

  We were joined by a few kayakers.

And fishermen.  It was a beautiful day on Blue Cypress Lake.

I can't wait to go back.

Osprey - ENP

These were my first Osprey shots, taken in Everglades National Park.