Wild Wings

The children enlist Callum’s father’s help with the injured bird. He calls Hamish from the nature preserve, who arrives with all the necessary equipment to free the osprey. They row out to the island, where the bird is being attacked by two crows while her mate tries to fend them off. Hamish dons a climbing harness and goes up the tree to capture the osprey in a canvas sling.

Callum is awed by the sight of the huge bird up close: “It was the osprey’s eyes that fascinated me. They were sunflower yellow, bright and intense. When she fixed me with her eyes, it was as if she was looking right into me” (80). Hamish takes a photo of the nest, which contains three eggs. He worries that if Iris is away from incubating them for too long, the eggs might not hatch properly. With Callum’s assistance, Hamish is able to cut the fishing line. The bird has sustained a minor injury to one of her claws, but Hamish assures everyone that this will heal soon as he sprays it with antiseptic. He then puts a transmitter on the bird’s back.