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Like most of my fellow ospreys on Oregon's Tualatin River, I
find the canoe and kayak paddlers to be a real pain in the tail feathers. Know
what I mean? They get in the way of our fishing. Cheep, Cheep! It's s our
livelihood & don't forget that we're also called fish eagles. These paddlers
even bother our great neighbors, the blue herons. Let me tell you my latest
experience; it makes me want to honk like a Canadian goose.
I was making a late afternoon soar of my section of the
river when I spotted a large squawfish. I asked myself if I could handle it.
Heck! I weigh only about four pounds, and this fish was more than two! I'd d
never had one this size before, and I'd d have to carry it sixty feet up to my
nest. Well, I decided to give it a try. My kids were hungry!
I knew that it would surface again soon, so I
circled
patiently. When I spotted those dorsal fins again I dived like there
was no
tomorrow. At just the right moment I plunged my talons down and gripped
hard. This fish was heavy! As I started my ascent it wriggled a bit and
tried to
pull me back. It didn't get away with that, but I had to settle on a
branch for a minute so it would lose some of its energy before I
started up
again.
That' s when it happened. This kayaker came along and decided
that he needed to get a few photos. I know I' m an impressive creature, but
these kayakers need to learn when its time to let nature take its course
without butting in their ugly noses. How could I focus on my task with this
stupid photog clicking away? Could I trust him to leave me alone? Now I was the
one who felt like a fish out of water.
Well, I gave a couple of scolding "cheep"s to hold this
fella off. I figured I better not get too excited. I needed to concentrate.
" Snap , snap," went that camera, but I kept my cool. Then I mustered all my
strength and got those wings beating good and strong, slowly rising, and
mastered the challenge by taking a big arc, away from my nest before coming up
to my young' uns from the other side of the river, out of sight of that kayaker.
Well, this one didn't t get away, and we all ate well that
day. My tale is not just a fish story! But I'm m telling you, we ospreys need to
get rid of these haughty paddlers on OUR rivers!!@@!!
Cheep, cheep!!
Ossie,
A not so rapturous
Oregon raptor |
