This juvenile Osprey takes off from the nest with her eyes closed, perhaps anxious about her flight abilities.
Ospreys are a relatively long-lived bird species. The oldest known osprey in North America was a 25-year old male. The oldest known female was 23 years old. However, very few individuals live to this age. Chance of survival from one year to the next varies between populations, but is estimated to be approximately 60% for young ospreys (less than 2 years old) and 80 to 90% for adult ospreys.
Canon 50D, EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

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