God's Perfect Timing: An Osprey Fishing

Ecclesiastes  3:1 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..."
Ecclesiastes  3:11 "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time....."

Yesterday was a wonderful day of God's perfect timing and blessing and being able to witness His creation in action.  We went to a place called Mill Bay, a short drive of 15 minutes.  This beautiful place is missed by probably 90% of the traffic driving north on the Island Highway who don't bother to take what is marked a scenic drive in their rush to get wherever they are going.  There is quiet road that leads down to the Bay, places to park at the Bay side of the road and a high bluff on the west side of the road. Saltspring Island and the Saanich Peninsula are in the distance.   Often we go there in the winter when there are many species of ducks over-wintering, and as I like to photograph birds, its a good place to go.

Yesterday I had taken my camera because you never know what you are going to see.   On arrival we parked the car at the side of the road, I got my camera and climbed the short distance down to the beach.  It wasn't but a couple of minutes later that I noticed a raptor in the sky.  I have never seen a raptor here before, just seagulls, geese, crows and ducks.  I watched with interest while the raptor circled and then hovered above the water as though looking for something, then he would fly to another spot.  I took a couple of photos from a distance, and then Praise God, he flew very close to where I was standing.  I was able to capture him hovering right before he dropped like a stone into the water and came up with a fish, then he flew off towards the bluff.  It happened so fast I was not able to photograph him fly away with the fish, but the photos that I did take are the best I could ever hope for.  The raptor is an Osprey.  I have only seen one once before, perched on a pillar at Cowichan Bay and that was years ago.

So I am so thankful that in God's perfect timing we arrived just as the Osprey was fishing.  And today it is raining, an answered prayer.  I am greatly blessed.

Here is my photo of the Osprey hovering just before he dropped and caught his fish.

here is one of him from the distance away:

The first photo shows his huge feet with which to grab his prey, and the second one shows his very pointed beak..  lethal weapons.

and here is one of Mill Bay: