For a majestic outing admiring local wildlife the DWR will be holding a unique wildlife-view experience at Flaming Gorge Reservoir. On Saturday, July 16th, the DWR event will provide a chance to watch ospreys in the air and on top of their huge nests. Ospreys — sometimes called fish hawks or sea hawks — are unique birds of prey that primarily eat fish, which is why they are drawn to the Flaming Gorge area. They are the only hawk in North America that eats a diet that’s almost exclusively fish and they are very good at plucking fish out of the water. DWR Northeastern Region Conservation Outreach Manager Tonya Kieffer-Selby says, “The birds at Flaming Gorge are very active, and they can catch a fish one out of every four times they dive. That’s a great success rate. ” Ospreys often log more than 160,000 migratory miles in their lifespan and the reservoir hosts one of the largest populations in the interior part of the western U.S. The event is free and will be held next to the parking lot at the Flaming Gorge Dam visitor center from 9am to noon. Spotting scopes will be available but bringing your binoculars is encouraged as well as your own lunch, water, sunscreen and bug spray. For more information, call the DWR’s office in Vernal at 435-781-9453.
