Osprey's bath rituals.

I am fortunate to live along a small body of water that is often used by the local Osprey for their daily bathing - it's always such a treat to be a witness when that takes place.....take a look

Osprey: a 22-25" eagle-like raptor. Feeds mostly on fish, normally caught live and then transported head first and belly down to a perch or nest nearby. They nest near fresh or salt water and here on Sanibel, many platforms are erected just for that purpose. The efforts in conservation has been successful and the species is now fairly common.

To me it is fascinating to watch how the osprey plunges into the water for his daily bath and how he stays submerged for almost a minute before taking off and shaking the water off - this process is often repeated a couple of times in succession.

 Clean feathers is an important part of a bird's life - it's their lively hood.