Meet the Osprey
Did you know that the seahawk is not just a football mascot, but an actual bird of prey?
In late spring these immense winged creatures arrive in Everett, WA, having flown all the way from Mexico. They make their nests on pilings that stick up in tidal flats between Jetty Island and the Everett Marina, but osprey can also often be spotted along the Riverside Trail in Everett, too.
Ospreys value estuaries and salt marshes because it’s an ideal place to capture the main staple of their diet: fish (hence their alternate name of “fish hawks”). In fact, ospreys are specially adapted to catch fish as their highly textured talons can move into a specialized arrangement to grasp writing fish.
Ospreys use the same nests year after year. Their huge nests are comprised of whatever the birds can gather.
Are you an avid birder? Perhaps an ornithologist? If you’d like to get a chance to glimpse an osprey in the Pacific Northwest, visit the waterfront of Everett, WA between April and August. There are many opportunities to watch wildlife in Seattle NorthCountry. And even if you aren't lucky enough to spot your chosen raptor, you can always head into the city for a bite to eat or some delicious beverages. Either way you're guaranteed success!
Jetty Island is just off the coast of Everett, but a world away from the city.
