Osprey Flying Class Youth T-Shirt

A visit to the Osprey nest on 7/14/18. The chicks are quite large now and are very close to fledging. It has been 5 weeks since they were large enough that we could first see them over the top of the nest and we suspected that one or more had hatched approximately 2 weeks before that.

Dad delivered fish for a lunchtime feeding but before they fed, it looked like Mom and Dad gave a brief flying lesson. Dad then flew off for the trees to watch from a distance.

Each of the chicks took a turn practicing before they ate. The practice spot is same place where dad lands to deliver his catch. Mom and the other two stood at the opposite side of the nest with their backs turned to give them room. The two oldest managed to catch a little air during flying practice and the largest one almost beat mom to death with his wings.

Mom is still feeding one of the chicks but the other two seem to be feeding themselves. After everyone had eaten, the oldest was playing with the...

I'm a travel photographer that enjoys photographing United States architecture, nature, and transportation. As the 8th photographer in 4 generations of my family, I don't remember a time when photography was not part of my life. By the time I was five years old, I was standing on a stool in the darkroom, helping my dad develop pictures. It was my job to transfer the photos from the hypo to the water bath. I went to college for interior design. After I graduated, I had a long successful career as an art buyer and designer for a large home furnishings company. In 2006, I had a significant life change. My husband became a medical traveler, and I decided to put my career on hold to tag along. In the process, I found my roots again. What...