Osprey

Richard Wagener

The sharp, vigilant face of an osprey peers toward the viewer in Richard Wagener’s intense, intricately carved woodengraving of a western osprey. Done in a characteristically small format, the strength of the image lies in the compact and powerful use of contrast and Wagener’s ability to procure the angle at which to best capture his subject’s defining characteristics. As well, the osprey itself features a highly contrasting feather pattern, appearing almost black and white from a distance.

Osprey are a large and powerful hawk species found on every continent except for Antarctica, and without exception they reside near bodies of water in order to obtain their primary food source: live fish. Their hunting technique is forceful enough that once they’ve located their target they will dive straight down into the water, fully submerging themselves, in order to grasp the fish with their talons. Osprey are migratory, and they remain in pairs once they’ve found a mate. They return to their nests year after year, with some nests reaching up to ten feet high as the pair rebuilds and adds to the original structure.