…where the eagles fly.

Yesterday I had three hours until my next appointment and was out and about in Seckbach. First, I cycled to the Seckbacher Ried (river marsh) and discovered that the nature conservation agency here uses large fences, preventing you from getting close to the water – a good thing, but bad for the photographer’s life. Compared to my last visit a good 10 years ago, Huthpark had also become completely tame. The lawn was mowed, and there was a lot going on in this weather. I would only see animals from a distance here, so I continued on to the Enkheimer Ried (river marsh), but everything important here is hidden behind high fences. A glance at the sat nav showed me that I wasn’t far from Maintal. I had already considered a trip to the Surfsee (surfing lake) in the morning, but dismissed the idea: too far, I thought, but the sat nav said it was only 15 minutes away. When I got there, the barbecue area was a hive of activity. Families, small children, and a few boys blasting heavy hip hop beats across the lake. I mentally made a big pass at wildlife photography for the day and looked for an empty bench at the other end of the lake to stretch my tired bones. I had barely sat down when a large shadow flew over me. I had never seen a bird with such a wingspan in our region before, but the pictures by @Paolo Ceccarelli immediately came to mind. Could it be? An osprey? Hell yes! I quickly grabbed my camera and took a picture. The shots of the fish being caught were too far away and too blurry – excitement is not good when taking photos – but he flew two more circles with his prey before a couple of young kites tried to steal the fish from him. These creatures fly in broad daylight and not a soul can be bothered by anything. In one picture you can see the boys partying in the background. Made my day!