The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching 60 centimeters (24 in) in length with a 2m wingspan. It is brown on the upper parts and predominantly grayish on the head and under parts, with a black eye patch and wings.
The Osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all continents except Antarctica although in South America it occurs only as a non-breeding migrant. 

Bird of prey: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_of_prey

All in his own story line Jack Howison of Beaufort, SC and his Adventure of the Osprey Babies....

Sunday, June 27, 2010 7:36 AM
Subject: Osprey Babies....Cooter & Henrietta Take A Look At Me
(click photo for larger)
In the first photo Hilda (Mom) tells the kids that I am walking out the dock and to keep their heads DOWN but kids will be kids and they both had to peek!!  Notice Cooter's red eyes glaring at me!!

The one squawking in the next three photos is Cooter (I think) while Henrietta stays close to Mom and remains fairly quiet........of course, it could be Henrietta doing the squawking and Cooter hiding..........they all look the same to me??

In the last photo they had seen enough of me and ducked their heads as Mom had originally suggested!!

It is so cool to finally see the kids and watch them grow.........they are getting too big to hide in the nest anymore so more photos will follow!!

I hope to get some photos when they get kicked out of the nest......sometimes it's quite comical!!

Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 7:59 AM Subject: Hilda & Cooter.....

"Keep your head down, Cooter....he's coming out here with that camera again!!" "OK Mom......"

Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2010 7:56 AM Subject: Final Days Of "Ground School"

Hilda is teaching the kids how to flap there wings to build up their muscles and in final preparation for their first "Solo Flight"......better known as......their first BIG effort to keep from learning how to swim!!

Cooter is paying close attention to Hilda and me...check his red eyes!!  Henrietta was hiding but finally took a look at me in photo #0156......

They will probably be booted out of the nest in the next few days and be on their own to fish, find mates and repeat the process with their own kids next Spring!!! TOO COOL!!!

Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 5:09 PM Subject: The Babies Are Grown Up!!

Well..... Cooter and Henrietta are about full grown and I figured I'd better get some shots today since they have been flapping their wings a lot and Hilda (Mom) has been making demonstration flights hourly!!

In these photos Henrietta is on the left and Cooter's on the right.......in the last photo Hilda is showing them some landing techniques!!

This has been so cool to watch them grow and I hope I'm around for the first flights......stay tuned!!

Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2010 10:56 AM Subject: Cooter Flew This Morning!!!

Cooter spread his wings and flew for the first time at about 8:30 this morning and Henrietta is still clinging to the nest as of 10:30 with both parents encouraging her to go for it!!

The first seven photos are from yesterday with Hilda and Ralph (Mom & Pop) doing fly-by's and chattering at the kids to pay attention.......

In photo's four through seven the kids seem a little scared and perplexed as they look skyward!!??

In the eighth photo Cooter is standing on one foot while he "High Fives" Dad on the dock about 200 yards away........a safe first landing but not too Purdy!!  (Sorry for the poor quality but I was zoomed to the max).

The next two shots are Cooter looking at Henrietta in the nest so far away and wondering what to do next??

The last two are Henrietta, still defyant and clinging to the nest........looking at Cooter so far away......Help??

Next on the list will be "Fishin' School" as soon as Henrietta flies....come on sis.....I'm hungry!! Stay Tuned!!

Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 7:58 AM Subject: Good Morning, What a morning!!

With the excitement of Cooter taking to the air yesterday with Henrietta laying low and clinging to the nest.......SHE FLEW THIS MORNING!!

While the full Moon was setting in the West with clouds and the Sun rising to the East. The Moon is right above the nest just minutes before Henrietta's historic leap into the "Great Unknown"!! Henrietta bailed out of the nest about 6:45.

She flew to the handrail on the dock next door and there she still sits one hour later!! She was clinging to the handrail on the dock next door wondering what's next and how the heck do I get back to that nest??

Cooter is flying in larger and larger circles while Mom and Dad try to interest him in learning to fish.....later folks, this flying is FUN.....WooooHoooo!!!  Good Luck Henrietta!!

Oh yeah......the Sunrise was pretty nice too!!

Happy Monday!! Jack Howison

Jack Howison takes Sunrise photos almost every AM and sends them to The Weather Channel and they run in the Beaufort Tribune.....go to www.beauforttribune.com

Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 9:10 AM Subject: Good Morning 
Cooter and Henrietta spent the night back on the nest after flying around a LOT yesterday!!  They took off again at first light while Mom went fishin' to keep them going!!  I'll try to get some photos of them in flight...... Happy Tuesday!!

Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 7:26 AM Subject: First Flight Day For Henrietta
On Monday Henrietta was "convinced" she needed to fly....not sure who pushed her but she fluttered to the next door dock and locked herself down on the handrail there for about 2 hours!!

When a neighbor went down the dock she reluctantly flew again and landed on my dock.......I walked out to see how close I could get to her??  Amazingly she let me get within 20 feet but she was squawking (first 2 photos) while Cooter was practicing "Touch and Goes" next door (3rd photo)....careful there boy!!

The next three photos are of them flying around but I can't tell who is who??

"Fishin' School" is next on the list!!

I'm not sure how long they will stay here but they were "Hunkered Down" in the nest last night during the storms!! Stay Tuned!!

Back to Old Sheldon Church By:  Jack Howison of Beaufort, SC

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