It doesn't get any better than this......

Last weekend I will never forget, in particular Saturday afternoon.....why I hear you ask, well take a look at the images below and you will see why.............

























Ospreys are my all time absolute favourite bird, I have driven all over the country to watch them and photograph them, there is just something about this stunning bird that really gets to me. Every year they make the long migration from western Africa returning to the same nest and the same partner that they will have not seen all winter. On this return they have to reclaim their nest, fight off intruders looking for a territory and nest, wait for their partner to return, find a new one if they don't and then the whole breeding cycle begins. Watching these birds fish is an absolute thrill, see my last post. And then when they have raised their young, got them fledged, they migrate back to Africa late August to start all over again. Some Ospreys have been recorded are all still making that journey after 20+ years...just amazing.
Whilst I was up in Scotland last weekend, I had the opportunity to visit a private Estate in the Cairngorms that has a nesting pair of Ospreys. A nice big fresh trout is left out in the hope that the male will come down and feed. I cannot tell you what a thrill it was to be alone in a tiny hide 15 yards away from this stunning bird, sat watching it for twenty minutes happily feeding.... I am still working my way through the many photos I took, but periodically I just came away from the viewfinder to watch and marvel what was happening in front of me.