Osprey

Female ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) usually show dark necklace across white breast. They fly with a marked kink in their wings, making an M-shape when seen from below.

Inspecting the hunting ground. Ospreys are very large (53cm - 61cm in lenght), distinctively shaped hawks. Despite their size, their bodies are slender, with long, narrow wings and long legs.

Well blended into its surroundings. Ospreys are brown above and white below, and overall they are whiter than most raptors. From below, the wings are mostly white with a prominent dark patch at the wrists. The head is white with a broad brown stripe through the eye.

Too many distractions. Juvenile shows buffy chest and darker orange eyes than adults. Her pale scaling on back and wings fades to dark as she ages.

Location change. 
Juvenile ospreys have white spots on the back and buffy shading on the breast.

Attacking prey. Live fish account for about 99% of their diet. Barbed pads on the soles of its feet help it grip slippery fish. When an Osprey takes a large fish to its nest, it carries the fish headfirst to make it as aerodynamic as possible.

The Osprey species name, Pandion haliaetus, is derived from the Greek "hals" (salt or sea) and "aetos", eagle, is the only bird of prey that feeds exclusively on live fish. 

Our young Osprey lady, lets call her Irma, after a successful hunt for a trumpet fish

Found prospective prey. Her outer toe is reversible so that it can grasp with three toes forward and one toe backward or with two forward and two backward, which provides a more stable grip in flight.

A well deserved meal!

A tidal spray crab (Plagusia depressa) is testing how close it can get to steal a piece of the catch.

Crabs sneaking in from behind

Successful heist!

Tidal Spray Crab (Plagusia depressa) with pieces of the trumpetfish caught by the osprey.