Herb’s Blog, Herbdate 22365 – 829:

Here’s the haps:

Colorado is home to very diverse flora and fauna and even though I have lived in this same city and state for over thirty years I still get a chance to be surprised every once in a while. Just as I was getting ready to go to work my daughter said, “Hey dad! You have got to come out and see this big bird. I’ve never seen one quite like it.” When I went and looked, sure enough, there was this really large bird perched on top of the electrical line in the easement.

At first glance, I was sure I was looking at an eagle. But as I got closer it didn’t quite look like an eagle, either. It was just slightly smaller and the wings were more of a dark brown than black. Then it turned so it could get a better hold on whatever it was eating and I saw the colors were all wrong.

After consulting Grandma’s bird book, which we still have, we were sure we had an osprey. The thing that threw me off is that I thought they were primarily fish eaters. I couldn’t see what he was working on but the nearest body of water that I know of is Quail Lake which is about a mile from here as the, er, crow flies. It’s stocked with panfish, but I don’t know why he would carry it all the way over here. I did read where they will eat fish out of a koi pond sometimes, though and I don’t know if any of the neighbors have a water feature like that.

I had never seen one before so it was kind of a one-off chance, I think, but it was really cool. I love to watch birds of prey, there are many types here to observe. It was fascinating to see him work on the flesh of whatever it was with that beak and talons of his.

Remember, the Good Book says,

Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south? Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.

(Job 39:26-29 KJV)