UFC wasn't the only fighting event this past weekend.
So I've been watching a group of nests this spring, one in particular at the state park. I got there early Saturday and oddly this one was empty...all the others were pretty much normal. Scanned the surrounding trees that I know this pair likes to perch in when away from home - nothing. Moved on to the next nest approx 100 yards or so down the road.
I had been shooting with the M6II, my last real chance to test it out as the return period is almost up. Having used it exclusively for the last 3 weeks, I decided to walk back to the car and swap it for the 7DII because, well, I just missed it. About 25 minutes later I was back at the nests, and saw one of the pair was back home. Looked odd, though. Normally they are pretty chill, but this morning the bird was antsy, not still at all and constantly looking skyward. At first I couldn't see what was going on overhead because trees blocked most of the view.
Suddenly the pair in a neighboring nest started calling, then the single bird I was watching did too and stood ready to launch, and I heard a rush of feathers directly overhead and extremely low. It was these two. The lead bird flew off, the one giving chase went to the nest. Wasn't long before the intruder was back and both of these took off after it. One pulled back to a nearby tree, but the other one continued chasing. They went on like this for 30-40 minutes - chase then soar in circles for a bit. I managed to pull one sequence where they were in the open - actually they were screaming through the marsh and I just got damn lucky and got a decent exposure in the harsh late morning sun. Also very fortuitous that I had gone back for the 7DII...no way the M6II would have tracked this.
I'm used to seeing the osprey briefly buzzing eagles as they sit in trees, and eagles stealing fish from the osprey, but never have I witnessed an ongoing battle between two osprey (or any other birds for that matter). Sometimes, despite all our careful study and planning, it comes down to luck. And also a reminder that sometimes the moment we capture is what makes the image, not the technical success or failure of it's components.