Fishin' accomplished!

I took this photo while lounging on the bank of the Rogue River. It's of an osprey hovering over the river, scanning for fish, seconds before diving into the water for a meal.

It's a very interesting and exciting process to see the osprey change the shape of its body to stop in mid-flight, hover and then dive. It's hard to get a good shot of the bird rocketing out of the water with a fish in its talons. In spite of its effort, the osprey is not always successful.

The osprey is well-suited to this behavior, with reversible outer toes (to grab the fish) and nostrils it can close. It can go about a yard under water. Biologists say the osprey will change the angle and speed of its dive, depending on the depth and speed of its intended meal. The hunter will even change the direction of its prey (fish head facing forward) to reduce wind resistance in flight.

So the next time you are at the store complaining about the wait in line to buy some fresh fish, remember the work of the osprey.