At Mount Vernon I was treated to a special surprise. An Osprey (sea hawk) had built her nest along the dock. I have never seen one of these in the wild and have never seen one communicate so clearly…she definitely wanted me to keep my distance. Not only was she loud, look at those puffed up feathers. After hearing her story I understood her cries. Apparently she laid 3 eggs in the nest. Only 2 eggs hatched. A few days before we arrived there was a severe thunderstorm with high winds which swept away one of the babies. One of the caretakers at Mount Vernon said she has been screaming for days. It made me sad. There is still one baby left which the caretaker said he has only seen once. She is quite the protective mama!
Slice of Life 2014 
Aww…poor Mama. How tragic. She’s beautiful though! You got some great shots of her!
Oh, poor thing. These shots are really wonderful – they seem to be full of emotion.
Awesome captures of the protective mother. She would scare me away with her ferocious look.
very sad that she lost the baby.. great shots.
Such a magnificent creature, Tammy, and how fortunate you were to be able to capture it.
She had probably heard how you let your chicks get broken wings and things and just didn’t trust you! LoL Wonderful shots of a Gorgeous Raptor.
What a thrill to have that interaction with this wild bird, you captured her intensity perfectly.
Holy c**p, that guy looks like he’s ready to attack you! Rather him than a sniper though. 🙂
You were treated to the full monte with this osprey. Great shots!
Well, you have proven beyond a doubt that you capture wildlife in the wild as well as in a zoo! Great for the theme…
great close-ups
Such awesome photos, Tammy! Her personality is vividly portrayed here. My heart breaks for her loss!