Osprey banking hard

A day after the head-on pass, a different osprey — or maybe the same one — banked sharply overhead while circling for fish, wings bent into a deep curve that shows off just how much an osprey’s wing shape resembles a gull’s more than an eagle’s.

Why it matters

Ospreys are found on every continent except Antarctica, one of the most widely distributed raptors in the world, and are the only hawk in North America that feeds almost exclusively on live fish, caught with reversible outer toes that help grip a slippery catch.

Getting the shot

Straight-up shots against clean sky are forgiving on exposure but demanding on tracking — the bird’s bank made for a dynamic wing shape that a level flight pass wouldn’t have shown.