Osprey!

The day turned sunny and warm, and in the late afternoon, we made a beeline for our favorite local swimming spot at Whipple Dam State Park. The days of the parks' swimming areas are numbered. Many of them close on Labor Day weekend, which is coming right up (Labor Day = first Monday in September). And so we are swimming every chance we get.

My husband and I were both in the water when we saw a large raptor fly overhead. It was just another one of those times when I have thought to myself how handy it would be to have a pair of glasses that serve as a camera; or to have an actual camera somehow imbedded in my head. I often see neat things while swimming - sometimes birds, sometimes dragonflies. But these are places you just can't take a camera, at least not easily. And yes, I do think one day I must invest in a waterproof camera, as I tend to be an amphibious kinda gal.

And we had our swim, and it was lovely and refreshing. And I thought about how I will miss it: these long, languorous sashays through silken cool waters. For some reason, swimming in cool to cold waters calms me. It drops my core temperature and I feel totally peaceful, totally focused. Thinking of the here and now: this very moment. Or of absolutely nothing at all. From a physiological standpoint, cold water is also a natural anti-inflammatory. I doubt that's why I love it so much, but I like thinking there's a medical benefit to it too.

And then we were done swimming, and we changed our clothes; and I nabbed my camera and headed down along the water on a quest for dragons and damsels. They are becoming more scarce; and in general I don't see as many of them when we go on an evening swim as when we go during the sunnier, warmer mid-day hours. Like the availability of our local swimming haunts, the time of the dragons and damsels grows short.

And just as I got to the water's edge and took my first few shots, I saw the large bird again. It did a couple of loops above the swimming area, and then it headed for my end of the lake. I set off quickly, hoping to spy it. And when I rounded the corner, there it was, high up in a tree down below the spillway, with its wings raised, its eyes watching the water. I had a great view of it, and a fortuitous nearby railing to steady my camera for some super-zooming. And so I took a couple of dozen shots, as the osprey posed on the tree limb.

I love seeing raptors in the wild, but it is seldom that you get a really good look at one. With this camera, though, if I can see something, I can usually photograph it. I've caught glimpses of an osprey once or twice, but have never posted a photo of one here. So in going on three years of Blipping, here is my first osprey Blip. Hooray!

Ospreys are tremendous hunters, and they are noted for diving into the water to catch fish. I didn't see it do any amazing dives while I was there, but I did note the no-nonsense (possibly even fierce) look on this bird's face. It clearly had its eye on the waters and was watching for any sign of a potential meal. So in honor of its wild, piercing gaze, the song to accompany this photo is Heart, If Looks Could Kill.