Ospreys in Danger Read online

  “Goodbye, little chicks,” Cricket said softly.

  As the bucket lowered her to the ground, she heard the chicks squawk. But the adult ospreys didn’t move from the treetops.

  Warden McKay lifted Cricket from the bucket as they heard honking overhead. The Canada geese were back!

  “Oh no!” Cricket cried.

  They all watched as two geese circled the nest. Their honking was loud and threatening. The chicks’ squawks changed to high-pitched whistles. The geese made another circle, flapping their huge wings and honking.

  Then a dark shadow passed overhead. The adult ospreys swooped down on the geese. Their talons were extended like knives. Their beaks were open in anger.

  Bodies collided. Wings flapped. Feathers flew.

  It was over in a second. The Canada geese took off, honking angrily. The ospreys circled the new nesting pole. They seemed undecided.

  Cricket held her breath. Will they land? Will they recognize their babies?

  The chicks squawked again. One of the adults cocked its head, then swooped down to land on the edge of the nest.

  “Yay!” The kids and crew cheered and high-fived. Cricket looked up and saw the second osprey heading back over the pond.

  “Where’s he going?”

  Warden McKay looked where she was pointing. “I’ll bet you he’s gone to get something to feed those hungry babies.”

  “Thank goodness,” Cricket said. “I was getting tired of all that fishing.”

  Warden McKay laughed. “Yes, you kids did a great job.”

  “And that nesting pole was an excellent idea,” Mr. Sprague said. “If it works, Fortis may install more of them. That way, we can protect the birds and keep power running to our customers.”

  Cricket, Shilo and Tyler high-fived again. Mission accomplished!

  Epilogue

  In May 1977, a pair of ospreys really did cause the entire village of Waterton in Waterton Lakes National Park to lose power. Thirty years later, another nest atop a power pole near the park gate caught on fire and was doused by the Cardston Fire Department.

  The power company, FortisAlberta, solved the problem by moving the power line and poles out of the wetland and erecting a new platform for the osprey nest. The company is focused on the safe delivery of electricity to 175 communities, but it is also concerned about protecting birds. Anti-perching spikes and fiberglass anti-nesting devices prevent birds from using power poles to build their homes. Colored flappers and curly bird diverters make power lines easier for birds to see and avoid.

  Why spend so much money and time protecting ospreys? Ospreys feed at the top of the food chain on every continent except Antarctica. Ospreys do well in a region that is healthy. When an osprey population declines, we need to look for problems with the environment, like the contamination of water, erosion and loss of habitat. Responding to these problems benefits the ospreys and all the animals and people living in that region.

  PAMELA MCDOWELL’S first career was in education, teaching junior high and high school. She began writing when she left teaching and has now written more than twenty nonfiction books for children. Pamela grew up in Alberta and enjoys writing about the diverse animals and habitats of her home province. Ospreys in Danger is her first work of fiction. Pamela lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband, two kids and an Australian shepherd. For more information, visit www.pamelamcdowell.ca.