That is classic Bald Eagle behavior. Greater Black-backed Gulls will occasionally do this to Ospreys as well. Bald eagles are kleptoparasitic when it comes to fish. Eagles are always on the lookout for Osprey fishing. They'll wait patiently for the Osprey to score, then the eagle hassles the Osprey, forcing it to relinquish its catch. In-air catches are typical. Ospreys occasionally put up a fight for the fish and are sometimes killed by the larger bird.
Eyes to the sky! Candace On Sun, Aug 1, 2021 at 9:30 AM Donna Lee Scott <[email protected]> wrote: > Last Thursday from East Rd at Knox-Marcellus Marsh, Barbara Clise, Mike > Tetlow & I watched 2 mature Bald Eagles chasing & harassing an Osprey that > was carrying a fish. > > The Osprey tried hard to escape, but eventually the eagles caused it to > drop the silvery fish. > Both eagles swooped down after the fish, & just when we thought the fish > would come to ground, 1 of the eagles caught it in the air! > > Donna Scott > Lansing > Sent from my iPhone > -- > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > *Please submit your observations to eBird > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* > -- > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
