the presence of a hovering osprey
After the species was nearly destroyed by DDT some thirty years ago, the osprey has made a remarkable comeback and is now seen frequently above lakes and ponds with a good fish population. It often hunts by hovering above the water, by using its extraordinary eyesight to locate fish, then to drop suddenly to the water with talons extended, and scoop up an unsuspecting fish. This image was taken in mid-June, 2008 at Damariscotta Mills, Maine. The osprey was hovering and hunting for alewives, anadromous herrings that migrate from the salt water of Damariscotta River to the fresh water of Damariscotta Lake. In this image I wanted to use color to project the tremendous energy of this bird while it hovered.