We were at the park yesterday. While there, twice we heard and felt a rhythmic-dynamic-rumbling helicopteresqe sound that, had it been closer, surely would have rattled windows. That sound was from an Osprey. Because of it's two prop/rotors it sounds like two large helicopters. The way the sound traveled I kept looking low for whatever it was. Instead of finding anything low, I looked up higher and saw what looked like a private plane traveling slowly across the sky. I did not have binoculars, but there was no other possible source for the sound visible. I snapped a picture and then looked at it on my screen and lo-and-behold it was an Osprey. I can't wait to see one up close. These things sound so awesome.
We saw one fly over Yakima, Washington twice, within about 20 minutes of each other. It's seems possible that they were the same one in an orbit. This was the first time I've seen them fly at a respectable altitude, before I've only seen them flying at considerably LESS than five hundred feet! Does anyone else have Osprey sightings they'd like to share?
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Hey there~
I live in Roy Washington, and if we're seeing the same ones, yes, there are two! They've been making rounds above my house for the past 3 days. I live in a heavily wooded area, and I've successfully seen two in view at the same time. Sometimes they are together, sometimes one is trailing 10-20 minutes behind the other one.
Unfortunately, they show up after 7:30 here. They only make 1-2 rounds before it gets dark out, and my camera has no shutter speed option. I'm going to camp out in the next few days and see if I can get a picture with a tripod instead. Due to the low visibility from trees, I only get a 10 second window to snap a good picture, and in my excitement, I guess I moved the camera too much to succeed this far. Whoops-
And you're certainly calling it on the windows. These things are not flying very high above the trees AT ALL. It's an amazing sight to behold, and I don't think I've been this excited to see a plane for awhile. I first noticed them when I heard the propellers. From close enough, you can also hear the jet engine (or something that sounds like one?), and I looked out my window in curiosity, because it did not sound like the normal chinooks that fly over my house. It was my first time seeing an Osprey, anywhere- I'd never even seen pictures of such a plane, so I've been stalking them ever since.
They're quite awesome in the day. Not so much at night, when they make continuous rounds through this area all the way until 3am!
I sure hope they keep making rounds during the day- I'm gonna try for a video next, since it'll have a much better frame rate. Then hopefully, I'll still see them enough times to get a picture. I'm worried they're just running short tests, and will be gone from my area for good before I get a chance.
http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu256/Hanyoutai/osprey1.png
http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu256/Hanyoutai/osprey2.png
http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu256/Hanyoutai/Osprey3.png
A little late to the party on this one but I watched two Ospreys come in and land on Harbor Island...oh a month or two ago (October 2013) They weren't on the ground very long then took off again north.
Most bizarre thing I've seen out my office window.
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