An Osprey in Melbourne!

The Eastern Osprey, Pandio cristatus, is a species rarely seen in the central region of Victoria and almost never in Melbourne. A solo female has been spotted along the banks of the Werribee River in western Melbourne this week and the bird watchers and bird photographers of Melbourne have been all in a flutter. While I have seen and photographed this species elsewhere in Australia, I couldn't resist an early morning start to get to the location, at which she'd been spotted for several days, just after sunrise. Several other birders were already there with cameras and binoculars scouring the trees along the river banks. Apparently she'd been here earlier but had flown off up river, so we waited, our numbers swelling to about 20 by the time she was spotted in a tree on the opposite bank. She stayed, posing for portraits, albeit long distance ones, for about 30 minutes...

Eastern Osprey, Werribee River, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 + 1.4x adapter, ISO400, 1/2000 second @ f/5.6 (cropped)

 before taking off...

Eastern Osprey, Werribee River, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 + 1.4x adapter, ISO400, 1/2000 second @ f/5.6 (cropped)

and plunging into the river and catching a small fish then alighting on a branch closer to us and proceeded to eat the fish. I missed the fishing because of shrubs and tree branches in the way but managed a few shots of the dining room.

Eastern Osprey, Werribee River, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 + 1.4x adapter, ISO400, 1/4000 second @ f/5.6 (cropped)