Osprey/Karma/Spot

[5th Tuition]

The boat was used mostly for cruising this weekend. The wife and I spent Friday and Saturday evening on the water. Great sunsets and beautiful red moon rising about 9:30 pm. My son and his wife used the boat on Sunday. This morning, the wife went off to work and I slipped down to the boat with some bloodworms to look for spot.
As I headed out of the Bodkin, I noticed a flock of gulls circling. Sweet, I had a jigging rod onboard and figured I might pull a few small rock out of the fray. As I got closer I looked for breaking fish under the gulls but didn't see any action. I motored slowly directly under the gulls.
I noticed something in the water. As I approached, I saw it was a birds head slightly above water. I made my way ever so carefullly toward the bird. WTF, it was an osprey in the water. It appeared exhausted but as the boat got closer, it tried to "swim" with its wings toward the boat. I cut the engine and went below and got my net. I circled back to the bird and scooped it into the net and carried it up front to the bow where I placed him in the sushine. What a big bird!!!
He sat up front while I set the boat up for a drift looking for spot. I must have caught 25 perch when suddenly; two spot came aboard. I quickly spun the boat around and set anchor. I filled the live well with 35 spot while the osprey soaked up the sun and flapped its wings occassionally.
Each time I had to go in the cabin to get a new bloodworm, I checked on him. Those yellow eyes, large beak, and huge talons were menacing. I kept thinking that he was going to take off and get his feet wrapped in the netting and carry away my net; but when he looked dry and rested, I went forward and slowly moved the netting out from under his feet.
He looked at me with a "thank you" look, and took off toward the nearest day marker. I watched him light on the top and I'm sure he had a wild story to tell his friends.
The temperature started to get hot, so I headed for the barn with my spot to put in the pen. As I rode in, I chuckled to myself and thought; you never know what you're going to see out on the water. I took a meal away from the gulls this morning, the little vultures will have to go find me some fish the next time I go out.
I never thought an osprey could get "waterlogged" like that. See you next April when you return in the spring.
5th (Marty)