Without question the osprey is one of the favorites for birdwatchers in Lake County. Earlier this week I was at the Lakeside County Park talking to two people on the dock when an osprey soared overhead and crashed into the water. He grabbed a small bass, turned the head of the fish so that is was facing forward, and flew off. It's a sight that's repeated over and over again on Clear Lake and never fails to amaze onlookers
Osprey are unique in that they can be found throughout the world, on every continent except Antarctica. The worldwide population is estimated at more than 400,000 birds. They are common on Clear Lake with at least a dozen pairs of birds living around the lake. They can be easily identified in flight by their white belly and long black-tipped narrow wings. The head is mostly white with a dark brown stripe that extends from the eye. Their beak is hooked at the end, which allows them to tear a fish into small bits. Their feet have two toes pointing backward and the bottom of their feet have short and sharp spines that help them hold onto fish. Their feathers also have an oil coating that keeps their feathers dry when they dive into the water.
Fish make up 99 percent of the osprey's diet. The primary fish the osprey feed on are hitch, small carp and catfish, threadfin shad and small bass. They locate their prey by flying low over the water. When they spot a fish near the surface they climb and then dive with their talons outstretched. Once they grab a fish they turn it so the head of the fish faces forward. The osprey then returns to its nest with its catch. At some lakes the osprey have learned that bass fishermen mean food and they will follow the bass fishermen and grab the small bass the fishermen release. Some fishermen will even throw a bass high into the air just to watch the osprey dive on the fish. I have had ospreys at Indian Valley Reservoir follow my boat hoping I would release a bass.
Osprey mate for life and their nests can be huge. They return to the same nest year after year and continually add to it with dead sticks and grass. The nests can weigh as much as 700 pounds. They build their nests near the tops of trees (preferably dead ones) and sometimes even on power poles. Since their diet consists entirely of fish, the nests are nearly always located near water.
The female lays from three to four eggs and then incubates them for approximately 35 days. Both the male and female rear the young. It takes from three to four fish per day to feed an osprey family. They have a unique way of feeding their young. The adults often eat the head and tail of the fish and leave the more nutritious center for their young. The parents also vigorously guard their young. I once observed a great blue heron fly to an unattended osprey nest holding three young and attempt to snatch them for an easy meal. Unknown to the heron the parents were in a nearby tree. They gave a loud scream and dive-bombed the heron, driving it away from their nest.
For years there was an osprey family at the Lakeside County Park in a huge nest at the lagoon. Every year the same pair of osprey would return to that nest and hatch young. Two years ago the tree that held the nest fell over and the nest was destroyed.
One of my favorite lakes to observe osprey is Indian Valley Reservoir. There are several pairs at the lake and they have built their nests in old dead trees that are standing in the lake. When you approach the nests by boat they will fly in circles around you screeching. Lake Pillsbury also has osprey along with bald eagles. The osprey is another good example of the abundance of wildlife on Clear Lake and why we have to protect and preserve the lake.