Ospreys

Several ospreys maintain nests along the north shore of Flathead Lake [1]. As you drive along Highway 82 between Bigfork [2] and Somers, notice the large nests made of cow dung and sticks perched atop telephone poles.

Fledgling bird-watchers may initially confuse an osprey with another fish-eating bird, the bald eagle. An osprey is smaller than an eagle and has a white belly (an eagle’s belly is dark). A feet-first plunge into water is the osprey’s distinctive fishing style.

Ospreys winter in Mexico from about late September to mid-April. It’s thought that mates winter separately but reunite at the site of the previous year’s nest. Eggs hatch in late May or early June. Canada geese may compete for osprey nests.