Eastern Osprey Mural by Jackson Harvey

Artist: Jackson Harvey
Year completed: 2019

The Eastern Osprey is a medium-sized bird of prey that feeds mainly on fish and hunts in the rivers and estuarine waters around Eaton. It has dark brown feathers with pale white/cream feathers underneath that you can see when they fly above. The birds often undertake complex aerial displays where two birds will soar together in a series of patterns, or where one will follow the other weaving in and around an aerial course. These displays often occur near osprey nests, which are large structures made of sticks, driftwood and seaweed like the one located near the Eaton Foreshore along the Collie riverbank. The nests are used year after year so can reach up to two metres across and two metres tall. Young are raised in early spring feeding on fish caught locally or from the parents hunting out to sea.