No Products in the Cart
Photo: Osprey Photograph + Cheetah Painting ©Azi
On this World Migratory Bird Day, I am excited to showcase the new addition to FashWand Wildlife Jewels Photography + Painting Collection with one of my favorite photographs of this majestic Osprey! The photograph is embellished with intricate details from my original Turquoise the Cheetah Painting!
I came across this incredibly beautiful Osprey at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and decided to combine the photographs I captured with details from my painting.
Migratory birds are under severe threat and their populations are dramatically decreasing mainly due to habitat loss, plastic pollution, sewage spills, oil pollution, fast driving cars, climate change, fishing lines, light pollution, and so much more...
About the Osprey:
Ospreys are precious birds and generally live near ponds, rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways around the world. Over 90% of their diet is fish. Ospreys can live to be 30 years old!
Ospreys hunt by diving to the water's surface from some 30 to 100 feet up. They have gripping pads on their feet to help them pluck fish from the water with their curved claws and carry them for great distances. In flight, ospreys will orient the fish headfirst to ease wind resistance. National Geographic
Ospreys need help!
The North American Osprey populations became endangered in the 1950s due to chemical pollutants such as DDT, which thinned their eggshells and hampered reproduction. Although numbers have recovered since then, Ospreys face many human caused threats. They are often killed through electrocution by power line collisions. In addition, ospreys can be killed by cars and other motor vehicles. Fishing hooks, fishing line entanglements, and heavy metal contamination are some more examples of many big threats to Ospreys.
The home of this magnificent Osprey is at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. It is a natural reserve to help protect these species, yet it is adjacent to Pacific Coast Highway full of fast driving cars. The 1,400-acre Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is home to 23 species that are endangered, threatened or of special concern. It’s treasured by birdwatchers for the nearly 300 feathered resident and migratory species, many of which lay their eggs there. There are an estimated 900 species of critters, including turtles, rays and octopuses.
Sadly the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, known to be home to 900 species of wildlife, including turtles, rays, octopuses, and endangered birds, is adjacent to oil wells! A huge portion of the ecological reserve is dedicated to oil production, with a 350-acre oil field home to some 40 aging pumping stations that serve 102 operational wells. OC Register
Osprey Migration:
Some Osprey populations are year-round residents, some perform short-distance migratory movements, and others perform some of the longest migrations among North American birds.
Ospreys migrate because they need fish and fish becomes inaccessible during the winter. When the weather is warm during the Spring and Summer, Ospreys can easily catch fish near the surface. During the winter, when temperatures cool, fish go deeper to warmer water and become inaccessible to Ospreys.
As part of the FashWand Wildlife Photography + Painting collection, we are delighted to be supporting and collaborating with local Wildlife Conservation Foundations. We're thrilled to be supporting charities by donating our limited edition prints for auction, in addition for each photograph sold, FashWand contributes 20% of net profits to Wildlife Conservations Foundations to help protect Wildlife and their habitats.
Discover The New Collection!
Are you a Wildlife Conservation nonprofit and interested in exploring collaboration opportunities? Contact us!
I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees. — Henry David Thoreau
Photo: Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve adjacent to Oil Wells ©Azi
Photo: Beautiful Ospreys at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve ©Azi
Photo: Beautiful Ospreys at The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve ©Azi