page_01 - Page: 3 of 31

One of my objectives in photographing animals is to capture interesting elements of their behavior. Here, the male osprey has landed on the female's back, and I wonder why. There was certainly enough room for him to have settled elsewhere, and it can't be easy to balance up there. So, I wonder what's going on here. Is this an act of affectioin? Is it play? Is it a form of care-taking? I don't know.

Notice that the female has raised herself somewhat to avoid the potential accidental crushing of her eggs.