Oar-some Osprey

Stephanie Hedt

Easter for me is steeped in tradition of spending time in the Aussie bush. This year was a little different and in fact I spent most of the long weekend inside eating my feelings. Thankfully, I was pulled from my couch for an all-day adventure! An 8 hour kayak adventure was ahead and little did I know what I was in for. Huge swell, sea sickness, sunburn and exhaustion. Oh, and time to appreciate the most amazing bird and marine life that Sydney Harbour surrounds have to offer. The great thing about a kayak, apart from it being a social distancing appropriate activity, is accessibility to remote locations and the ability to activate ‘stealth mode’. On this day, these characteristics offered lowly kayakers the most Oar-inspiring Osprey encounter. In very close proximity, an Osprey had just caught a big fish and perched for lunch. We sat, floating silently, for more than 10 minutes watching it devour the live fish, head first, totally unfussed by us. It was one of those surreal moments of complete stillness, thinking about the life of an Osprey, and surrendering to the draws of nature in the middle of a huge city. It completely made my day! And reminds me that a connection to nature is the best cure for the busy mind.