Laguna Shores Resort in Rocky Point, Mexico is home to many Osprey

By Lannette Phipps

One of the treats of living at Laguna Shores Resort is the close proximity to nature at its finest and most pure. Since the resort area, estuary, and beach are quiet and non-threatening areas, many birds like to call the 600-acre resort home. One magnificent creature is the Osprey, which we see making their nests upon bald palm trees and telephone phones. As you drive to the resort you are likely to spot one or two sitting atop the poles leading to the resort. Their nests look kind of messy and are comprised of straw, driftwood and seaweed. There is one bare palm, which I can see from my livingroom window, where the Osprey love to sit and watch the ocean activity. If you are driving around Rocky Point, or Laguna Shores Resort, look on the tops of poles and trees for their nests. If one is sitting in a lofty spot there may be a nest nearby.

Ospreys are beautiful creatures that National Geographic says are sometimes confused with bald eagles, but can be identified by their white under parts. The upper parts of the bird are brown and they have a black eye patch and wings. Once you see one you will be able to spot them easily. The diet of the Osprey, for the most part, is fish, which are richly abundant in the Sea of Cortez and in the estuary that borders Laguna Shores Resort. They have the ability to dive into the Sea of Cortez from a height of 30 to 130-feet. Their toes are of equal length and have gripping pads on their feet which help them to pluck the fish from the water with their curved/rounded claws. The Osprey’s outer toe is reversible allowing them to grasp their prey with toes in front and behind – the only other bird that can do this is the owl. The Osprey can also carry their prey for long distances and will turn the fish headfirst to eliminate wind resistance. They most likely do this mid-flight unless they are incredibly lucky on the first time around.

Some types of Osprey are migratory birds and fly south for the winter, but it seems they can be seen here in Rocky Point, Mexico all year long (probably because the weather is so great!). They have built lots of nests along the railroad tracks – up on the telephone poles – and for the first 7-9 years of the El Golfo Run (hosted by The Rocky Point Times Newspaper) we used to see a lot of them. We would even see the nasty crows come along and steal their eggs as the Osprey watched on from another perch. You can find man-made nests and Osprey made nests in Las Conchas and one Osprey likes to sit on my friends railing at Puerta Privada on Sandy Beach. He or she has been to visit a few times.

The Osprey usually mates for life and they take turns incubating the eggs after they are laid. Once ready to hatch, the baby Osprey come out of the eggs in a staggered pattern – not all at once. When food is scare it becomes “survival of the fittest”. Osprey have been known to eat vermin, but their diet is almost all fish (so don’t worry about Fido being nabbed during your beach walk). Their typical lifespan is 7 to 10 years, but they can live to be 25 or 30 years old. Their wingspan is approximately 5 to 6 feet and to see one take off in flight is breathtaking. Here is a link from National Geographic where you can read more about the Osprey: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/osprey/ and if you press the audio button you can hear them – pretty cool.

Interesting Osprey Trivia gleamed from Wikipedia

• Nisos, a king of Megara in Greek mythology, became a sea eagle or Osprey, to attack his daughter after she fell in love with Minos, king of Crete.

• There was a medieval belief that fish were so mesmerized by the Osprey that they turned belly-up in surrender, and this is referenced by Shakespeare in Act 4 Scene 5 of Coriolanus:

I think he’ll be to Rome
As is the osprey to the fish, who takes it
By sovereignty of nature.

• The Osprey has been featured on more than 50 postage stamps.

• The bird is a mascot for sports teams including Seattle Seahawks, North Florida Ospreys as well as colleges and universities all over the world.

Spotting the Osprey is yet another reason to vacation or purchase a condo, home or vacation Package at Laguna Shores Resort. Grab a kayak and weave your way through the waterways of the estuary or bike around the resort and see if you can spot the beautiful birds. Like I said, after you spot the first one, you’ll begin looking for them all of the time. If you’re a first time visitor to Laguna Shores Resort, a master planned oceanfront community, visit their website at www.lagunashoresresorts.com for rental specials and resort tours. You will love it at Laguna Shores with all of their amenities and peace and quiet atmosphere.

This article is brought to you by Laguna Shores Resort, a master planned oceanfront community on the Sea of Cortez in Rocky Point, Mexico. Located just off of the Coastal Highway, north of town, Laguna Shores offers real estate for sale: fractional shares, condos, homes, lots, as well as custom home building services. They also offer condos and homes for rent. Laguna Shores Resort is like no other master planned community in Puerto Peñasco, with their many amenities, low-density housing, desal plant, and underground utilities. Come out and take a tour – you will be pleasantly surprised. Ask about their Lifetime Vacation Plan – the smart and economic way to vacation. Visit their website at www.lagunashoresresorts.com for photos, maps, videos and a wealth of information about the resort and Rocky Point, Mexico. “Like” them on Facebook to see, and receive in your newsfeed, current vacation rental specials, fractional share ownership and vacation packages contest drawings, as well as new real estate for sale such as beachfront lots and homes and condos for sale. Laguna Shores Resort can be reached from the U.S. by calling toll free 1-800-513-1426.