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Pandion haliaetus
Ospreys readily build nests on manmade structures, and are happy to use nest platforms designed specifically for them. But they're just as happy to build on a telephone pole, overpass, channel markers -- pretty much any elevated site with easy access to fishing waters (fresh or salty). This huge osprey nest is prominently placed on the support beams of the truss bridge over Lake Allatoona at the main entrance of Red Top Mountain State Park. The busy traffic underneath them does not seem to bother them much!
The osprey is unusual in that it is a single living species that occurs nearly worldwide. Resident to long-distance migrant. Most Ospreys that breed in North America migrate to Central and South America for the winter, with migration routes following broad swaths of the eastern, interior, and western U.S. A few Ospreys overwinter in the southernmost United States, including parts of Florida and California.
Spotted on Bethany Bridge at Red Top Mountain State Park
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