Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Osprey

Just had a good sized Osprey pull a 10 inch LMB out of the pond. He went up in a tree with his sushi and is now dining.

I give 'em one free meal before switching to "full auto."

Actually they are not supposed to be in this area. Or inland at all. Guess he came in on the highly popular high speed rail.

Sniper,

Most likely it will move on. I had a pair on my pier one morning. They were there briefly and moved on.

Just keep in mind Ospreys are almost as coveted as Bald Eagles by the feds. Not sure I'd advertise the "full auto" thing.

Just trying to help, don't kill the messenger.

I saw one take a fish from the pond Sunday morning, at least that's what I think it was. I'd seen a bald eagle a few days prior so that was my initial thought until it flew over and I saw it had a mostly white underside. Apparently they're migratory so maybe thats why they're inland, I live about 3 hours from the coast.

Nate Herman has a resident Osprey in Central Illinios...I guess it didn't get the memo about not being an inland bird...It was pretty cool to watch it target a 2 pound Golden Trout, go into an aerial dice of about 500 feet shooting straight into the water. It was under water a good 30 seconds before coming out, then flying around the lodgehouse...I went to the other side and was mesmerized to see the Osprey dining on his meal atop a utility pole only 10 feet away...One bird I think I would sacrifice a daily meal to.

That would be cool to see one take a fish that big. Are there any more around him or is it a loner that found it's way there somehow? Was fishing and didn't even notice the bird until I heard a big commotion on the opposite end of the pond and saw it flapping on the surface trying to pull itself out of the water. It then flew over me and circled the top of the dam a couple of times before flying off. It looked like the fish it had was about a foot long, looked like a bass but may have been a trout. I'm sure they love finding a pond with golden trout!

I have one that stops by my pond about once every couple of weeks but he never stays more than a a hour or so before he moves on. The crows chase him non stop until he leaves.

I've got a family of crows I feed regularly bread loaf ends and any fish that might have died on me. Maybe that's why I don't see many fish predator birds. Only had a heron show up once so far this year, but I don't have the stake lines up yet. I had my German exchange student fire off some bottle rockets off the porch and the heron was gone.

I forgot to feed the crows the other day and they were making a racket on my roof as if to say, "Hey get your butt out there and feed us now!" Really cool birds IMHO and very intelligent.

If I had an osprey problem I would run some line across the ponds in a few places. I hear it works like a charm for diving birds. I'm also thinking by adding Aquashade I reduce visibility too much for diving birds.

Thanks, Cecil. "You don't have to worry about barking dogs."

As another poster said, probably just migrating back to the Gulf Coast. It's a beautiful bird. I wouldn't want those talons sunk in my skull tho.

Ospreys sure do like golden rainbows. I've watched them pluck several from central PA lakes. They go inland but obviously are more common along the coast where there is ocean. I once saw an osprey pick a 2 foot long gold and black colored koi that had gotten lose into the Potomac. It was pretty cool watching the osprey carry him away.

Obviously those fish are easy prey due to their high visibility. Nothing like a popsicle now and then.

My dad and I were fishing for bluegills in an Upper Peninsula lake chain in Michigan one day. For some reason the lake was teaming with 1 to 2 pound smallmouth but nothing bigger. That may have been why this chain of lakes had such large bluegills. (It's called the Fortune Chain of Lakes off of Route 2 if anyone from Michigan has heard of it.)

Anyway, if we threw an under size bluegill in the water, and it was hooked too deep and floated, it wasn't long and an Osprey would come and pick it up and take it back to it's nest. It would come from at least a mile a way and apparently like other raptors could see well for long distances.

I decided to see how big a fish it could carry, and broke the neck of one of those 2 lb. smallies and waited for the bird to show up. It seemed like it took longer this time, as if the bird may have been having doubts.

Finally the bird shows up and picks up the fish. It had trouble though, and swayed from side to side and up and down, but finally the determined bird took the fish to the nest.

While shad fishing this morning for a couple hours I watched at least a dozen ospreys and 3 bald eagles fishing for all the herring, shad and white perch coming up the river to spawn. It was an impressive sight to see so many birds working like that.

Cecil, there's a pair of ospreys that call Potato Creek home. Once in a while I'll see them at Koontz before the boating season starts.

Or.... On my pond last year since I live 1 1/2 miles from Potato Creek

They were at your pond a lot?

Is a pond dye a possible solution? I'm thinking reduced visibility could curtail their fishing.

Cecil, he's got plenty of fish to spare! A few larger ones given to the ospreys won't make a difference. They could be HSB, LMB or large BG, I'll bet Mike won't care.