On the west side of Stake Lake is an osprey nest at the top of a broken-top fir tree.   Eggs were laid by the mating pair  and then were incubated for about 40 days.   The chicks hatched then nested for 50 – 60 days this summer and each time I returned to kayak the lake, I checked their progress.   From my kayak with a 250 mm zoom lens I could get images of the mother and chick in the nest.

The adult male was often nearby, keeping an eye on possible predators.   I could also watch it fishing, circling then doing a talons-first dive into the lake.

Loons were also fishing on the lake and kept an eye on their young one.

Ducks also stayed in small flocks, especially with an adult osprey nearby.   Ospreys mainly feed on fish but they can also feed on ducks, birds, muskrats, mice, snakes, and squirrels.   It is, however, the only member of the hawk family that primarily eats fish.

In the fall, the ospreys will start their long migration from Stake Lake to Central America.   We will return to paddle the lake and watch for ospreys next spring and summer.