Lunch with an Osprey

I had lunch with an osprey today. She brought a fish she had just caught, and I had my Publix fried shrimp and seafood salad. I sat on my deck on the third floor of my house at a table, while she stood on a tall pole in the canal a short distance away. We looked at each other cautiously at first then preceded to dine. I with my fork and she with her beak.

At first, I felt badly for her because she had to pick flesh from each tiny bone of the fish, but she seemed accustomed to it, and not at all annoyed. I ate my meal quickly, and she picked and picked and swallowed and swallowed. This took some time. I was ready for dessert while she still ate lunch.

Meanwhile, a cormorant, another seabird, joined us. I had seen a similar bird earlier swimming in the canal. It jumped up or flew out of the water onto our dock, and then preceded to open its wing feathers, standing there with its wings outstretched, totally still, for quite some time. Didn’t seem to be flirting with anyone or being defensive. Was it just drying its feathers? (Yes, I found out later by googling it.) Or, maybe that is how this bird with webbed feet posed before she dove into the water for fish? A karate kid contest pose. Not sure if this bird was a he or a she or a them. Both birds displayed a mixture of lovely white and brown feathers.

There wasn’t much conversation out loud, just telepathic and nonverbal communication, and the whole situation just felt perfect. A small aircraft flew overhead and some other birds were chirping their delight.

I took my dishes into the house, and then came back out to my deck. The osprey was still plucking at her delicacy, and the bird still had its wings outstretched as if it were on RuPaul’s Drag Race, strutting slowly around the deck, hearing silent applause. So many minutes passed.

Having finished her lunch, the osprey flicked fish bones into the canal and finally flew away, toning her high pitched call. But, before she did so, she shot out a long spray of white poop onto my dock.

Perhaps surprised, the duck began standing very still again, wings outstretched, while I went indoors. I am still not sure about the etiquette for ending a lunch with birds.

What lovely luncheon companions! Compliments to the Chef!