I had something wonderful happen yesterday following a spring snowstorm in Salt Lake City. I found my first of year Osprey close to home perched on a pole.
First of Year Osprey after a snowstorm – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
The male Osprey may have been grounded by the crazy weather we had earlier in the day. After all, it is migration time for these fish hawks. I usually see Ospreys here in town during the spring migration, but it was a surprise to see one so soon after the snowstorm.
Sharp-eyed folks might notice that the Osprey in the photo above has a fish in its talons. It isn’t going hungry.
When the storm let up, I went out to shovel the snow and scrape it off my Jeep. After finishing that chore, I checked the sky and decided to treat myself to a few minutes of bird photography close to home. There was a suckerhole in the clouds plus a bit of sunshine. I’m glad I decided to look for birds instead of taking a nap; otherwise, I would have missed finding the Osprey altogether.
March 26, 2023 snowstorm – Cell phone image
The photo above shows what it looked like before I went out to shovel the snow. Just so you know, it got worse before the snow stopped. Mother Nature isn’t done with snowstorms or winter here in Utah yet, not by a long shot. Last year, I was snowed on until the 20th of April up in the mountains.
I do hope that the Osprey I found yesterday can weather the storms somewhere safe. Ospreys are tough birds, but this weather has been rough, and overnight temperatures before the storm yesterday were in the low 20s.
Stay safe Osprey. When it is time, head for your breeding grounds.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Osprey photos plus facts and information about this species.
Wonderful find!
Enjoy seeing ospreys on my walks along the Provo river, but living in Kamas area, I’ve just about had enough of this snow
Stephen, I, too, have had enough of this snow! I know we needed the moisture but enough already!
As someone who rarely sees snow I delighted in both photos today – and I echo Mary’s comment about the water table.
Glad the Osprey is able to get some food in between snowstorms. We’re getting some rain and snow in the mountains Wednesday and Thursday (just in time for me to pick up my new post-op foster dog😹🐾), so you should be getting those shortly thereafter. Let’s hope the the powers-that-be leave most of this moisture where it needs to go; i.e., the GSL!
Here’s hoping the snow made a significant increase in the water table!