nourishment

nourishment

osprey family

 (click on image for larger size)

location: kimberly, oregon

season: early summer

backstory: osprey seem to tolerate humans a little more than other raptors. their nests can be easier to see, possibly because they prefer being close to a river.

i've found several nests while kayaking down the north fork john day river from 20 miles east of dale to kimberly (about 60 river miles) where it joins the main stem of the river. this scene was after spending a lovely day kayaking, then returning by rig with camera gear. i don't take the expensive gear in the kayak.

with this, and the other osprey photos, i often spend several days at the nests, watching their daily life, the comings and goings.  sometimes they tolerate me, other times they don't.

this opportunity unfolded after a lovely early summer day.  spring green and growth transitioning to summer.  pleasantly warm into the evening sunset.

watching a nest like this can be a very meditative process: quiet, still, being in the moment. distractions jump in trying to divert focus.  return to the breath & the nest & the moment. an osprey parent with two pre-flight fledglings are great teachers for this meditative process.  they sit. they nap.  they stretch their wings, then settle in to sit some more.  maybe they chirp a few times.

coming from town & a human paced life can be a bit of a transition to sit all day with this. once i can slow down to osprey pace, it feels very soothing.

and then, the other parent flies in from upriver with dinner: nourishment.

sushi distributed all around, then settling back into the evening rhythm. one parent takes wing.  fledglings settling in.  the other parent calmly overseeing and protective.

observing the whole process feels nourishing to me as well.

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