
Maybe a couple of times a year, an Osprey (or two) visits our lagoon in search of a fish meal.
Ospreys are birds of prey, or raptor. They are widespread globally, occurring in Australia, much of Asia, Europe and North America. Their food is primarily live fish that they catch by diving at the water from a considerable height with their talons extended, clamping the unlucky fish in those specially designed claws. They rise from the surface of the water with the fish clamped in a fore and aft direction. At this stage their feathers are wet and they need to clear the water by aerial “shaking” before flying off to deliver the prize to a lucky mate or perhaps to find a safe perch where they can devour their catch.
A few years ago we watched in awe from the Griffin Road Bridge as an Osprey plummeted to the lagoon’s surface and came up with a substantial mullet in its grasp.
The photograph above shows one of the birds on a light tower beside the lagoon. Our visitors probably come from breeding pairs that nest to the north and south of Curl Curl. In 2019, a pair built their typical very large nest on a light tower in the middle of Nolan’s Reserve, Manly.
See images of many birds you will encounter in the Curl Curl Lagoon Bird Life Picture Gallery.
Russell Beardmore
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