Tina the Fish Hawk
Tina on her branch weathering a storm.
I’ve got a new T-shirt design called “Fish Hawk,” and it’s all thanks to an osprey we named Tina and the rabbit hole I fell down looking up osprey facts. She’s been hanging out in our backyard lately and it got me thinking about these birds, my first run-in with one moving to Jax, and the new name I just learned they go by.
Tina in the Pine
For about a week now, this osprey we call Tina has been showing up every day in the tall pine tree out back. We think she’s a female, bigger than some others we’ve seen, but we’re just guessing. She’s there most mornings and evenings, perched up high, sometimes flying off and coming back with a fish to snack on. My fiancé and I have started watching for her, popping out to the backyard to see if she’s there. It’s been fun having her around, like our own wild pet bird. We’ve entered that point in life, bird watching lol.
That 2005 Moment
I moved to Jacksonville in 2005, and one of the first things that hit me was seeing an osprey flying over the highway with a giant fish in its talons. I was driving, totally caught off guard, almost swerving just to keep staring. It was wild. this bird just cruising above traffic with this flapping catch. It stuck with me as an exclusively Jacksonville thing.
Fish Hawk Discovery
So, with Tina around, I started poking around online about ospreys. Turns out they’re also called fish hawks. I had no idea! It’s such a simple, straight-up name. Fits them perfect. “Fish hawks.” That’s what I’m calling them now, at least in my head. Thought it’d be a fun twist for a T-shirt, same osprey vibe, share some facts and the new name to call them.
Fish Hawk on Fabric
The T-shirt’s got “Fish Hawk” slapped across it carrying fish. Nothing fancy, just a nod to Tina and that 2005 fish hawk highway siting. The orange circle reminded me of traffic cones from the highway. Ospreys are cool, fish hawks are cooler. Same awesome bird, fresh new name. Wear it and you’ve got a piece of Jacksonville and some random facts to toss out next time you spot one overhead. Maybe it will even spark a convo in the grocery line and you’ll met the love of your life from your love of these birds. Maybe. If it does please let me know lol.
