A Life of Ospreys


Book Description

This book tells the story not only of the osprey, but of the osprey watcher, following the bird's fortunes in Scotland, seeing its numbers rise from that single pair in the 1950s to close to 200 pairs today.




Ospreys


Book Description

A fascinating look at one of the greatest conservation success stories of the modern era: the wildly popular, unique, and thrilling raptor, the Osprey. Ospreys are one of the few bird species that are found throughout the world. From forests in Hokkaido to rivers in Oregon and islands off Australia, Ospreys steal the show as nature lovers easily watch them build their massive nests and tend to their young. The fact that the Osprey is one of the few large birds that can hover adds to its mystique, and to watch it plunge into the water, emerging with a fish clutched in its talons, is truly a sight one will remember. As widespread as Ospreys are, not long ago they were under threat of extinction. During the 1950s and '60s, scientists tied the decline of Osprey populations to the heavy use of DDT and other human pollutants. In the 1980s, Ospreys began a slow recovery due to the efforts of conservationists and through the resilience of the adaptable raptors themselves. Today they are again considered common in most parts of the world, although some populations remain threatened. In this gorgeously illustrated book, Alan F. Poole, one of America's premier Osprey experts, has written a lyrical exposé of these majestic creatures, describing their daily habits and exploring their relationship with the environment. Ospreys celebrates the species' miraculous recovery from contaminants and hunters, chronicles their spectacular long-distance migrations, and unveils their vital role in bringing life to coastal habitats. Few other birds have such a hold on the human imagination. This book shows us why.




Belle's Journey


Book Description

Take flight with Belle, an osprey born on Martha's Vineyard as she learns to fly and migrates for the first time to Brazil and back--a journey of more than 8,000 miles. Dr. B. and Dick, two osprey scientists in Massachusetts, observe ospreys and their offspring, tagging one special fledgling with a transmitter to better study migration habits. Follow Belle as she attempts her first flight, conquers her first fishing endeavour, and heads south for her first migration all while her tracking device transmits information about where's she been. Based on information garnered through twenty years of research by the author, Belle's Journey will soar into reader's hearts.




Soaring with Fidel


Book Description

A Book Sense Notable Title "As Gessner pursues [the ospreys] down the Eastern Seaboard and even into Cuba with a BBC documentary team at his heels, a lively tale of fish-eating raptors, broken embargoes and a nail-biting race to the finish line ensues . . . Gessner finds his Mecca not in the thrilling launch or triumphant end of his own 7,000-mile migration, but in the living done in between."—Jennifer Winger, Nature Conservancy Magazine "An engaging, lyrical guide to osprey migration, Cuba, and a common humanity."—Orion Magazine "Gessner's finest book, unpredictable in the best way, and funny, too; an adventure book and much more—a book of contact by a writer who quickly becomes an audible and visible presence."—Clyde Edgerton, author of Solo "An interesting and complex book . . . In a surprisingly short amount of time, David Gessner has evolved into one of our most accomplished and singular writers about nature. While many authors treat their experiences in nature with a hushed earnestness and a suspect neatness, Gessner writes about the messy humanness of being outside."—Mark Lynch, Bird Observer "An ideal traveling companion and guide. Soaring with Fidel lets you hover for a while in the thermals of fine language, seeing the same old world from a fresh and invigorating altitude."—Ben Steelman, Wilmington (NC) Star-News




Awesome Ospreys


Book Description

Known by ornithologists as "citizens of the world," ospreys are among the most widely distributed bird species on earth, living on every continent except Antarctica. Love enthusiastically shares her knowledge of ospreys and their life cycle in this volume. Full color.




Wild Wings


Book Description

This “vividly imagined and well-written novel” (Booklist, starred review) tells a gripping story about a boy from Scotland and a girl from West Africa who join together to save a migrating Osprey—and end up saving each other. When Callum spots crazy Iona McNair on his family’s sprawling property, she’s catching a fish with her bare hands. She won’t share the fish, but does share something else: a secret. She’s discovered a rare endangered bird, an Osprey, and it’s clear to both her and Callum that if anyone finds out about the bird, it, and its species, is likely doomed. Poachers, egg thieves, and wild weather are just some of the threats, so Iona and Callum vow to keep track of the bird and check her migratory progress using the code a preservationist tagged on her ankle, no matter what. But when one of them can no longer keep the promise, it’s up to the other to do it for them both. No matter what. Set against the dramatic landscapes of Scotland and West Africa, this is a story of unlikely friendships, the wonders of the wild—and the everyday leaps of faith that set our souls to flight.




The Call of the Osprey


Book Description

A stunning addition to the Scientists in the Field series that explores mercury pollution found in the rivers and streams of Western Montana that might cause harm to humans--and the extinction of the entire osprey species.




Oscar the Osprey


Book Description

Oscar the Osprey is one of those must-read children's chapter books that teach kids how to get over embarrassment and humiliation, inspire others, and understand what self-acceptance means. It’s one of those how-to books for kids that teachers can use to show their students how to overcome challenges in life and teach the consequences of lying. Unable to fly over the mountains, Oscar finds himself alone, left behind to fend for himself in a bitterly cold winter in the Tetons. Will he adapt to the challenges in his life and learn how to overcome the humiliation he faces for having an unusual flying technique that isn’t how an Osprey is supposed to fly? Or will he give up and fail to learn how to overcome challenges in his life? Join Oscar as he meets other animals in the forest, challenges his elders, and unexpectedly learns how to inspire others. Elementary kids will learn about self-acceptance and see that everyone must overcome challenges. “A charming tale about deceit’s tangled web with textured, kinetic illustrations.” - Kirkus Reviews If you’re looking for an artfully illustrated must-read chapter book or a how-to book for children, Oscar The Osprey: The Bird Who Was Afraid of Heights delivers both.




Oscar and Olive Osprey


Book Description

Oscar and Olive Osprey tells me heartwarming story of two ospreys that build a nest, raise three babies, and defend against predators. Filled with amazing color photographs, Oscar and Olive Osprey will delight children and parents alike, and inspire an emotional connection between their lives and the lives of these beautiful creatures. "Oscar and Olive Osprey is a charming book that children will love. It is not only a story of nature-of beautiful and graceful birds-but of family, parents' love, and of young birds growing, dreaming, overcoming their fears, and finding their way. Set atop a nest at the end of a pier, it is a story of life that parents and children can share. I highly recommend it."-Mark A. Reinecke, PhD, Chief Psychologist and professor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital Experiencing these spectacular birds of prey firsthand inspires, in children and adults alike, a sense of awe and a desire for learning more about them that is duplicated by reading this beautiful story. I know this book will guide the next generation of nature lovers to seek out the experience of watching ospreys for decades to come."-Joy Braunstein, CEO/President, Carolina Raptor Center "The connection you feel between this family and your own is so real. This story will capture your heart and you will no longer look at the osprey as just another bird!"-Carla Rohde, Park Naturalist/Raptor Specialist, M-NCPPC, Watkins Nature Center Book jacket.




The Dream Machine


Book Description

A fascinating and authoritative narrative history of the V-22 Osprey, revealing the inside story of the most controversial piece of military hardware ever developed for the United States Marine Corps. When the Marines decided to buy a helicopter-airplane hybrid “tiltrotor” called the V-22 Osprey, they saw it as their dream machine. The tiltrotor was the aviation equivalent of finding the Northwest Passage: an aircraft able to take off, land, and hover with the agility of a helicopter yet fly as fast and as far as an airplane. Many predicted it would reshape civilian aviation. The Marines saw it as key to their very survival. By 2000, the Osprey was nine years late and billions over budget, bedeviled by technological hurdles, business rivalries, and an epic political battle over whether to build it at all. Opponents called it one of the worst boondoggles in Pentagon history. The Marines were eager to put it into service anyway. Then two crashes killed twenty-three Marines. They still refused to abandon the Osprey, even after the Corps’ own proud reputation was tarnished by a national scandal over accusations that a commander had ordered subordinates to lie about the aircraft’s problems. Based on in-depth research and hundreds of interviews, The Dream Machine recounts the Marines’ quarter-century struggle to get the Osprey into combat. Whittle takes the reader from the halls of the Pentagon and Congress to the war zone of Iraq, from the engineer’s drafting table to the cockpits of the civilian and Marine pilots who risked their lives flying the Osprey—and sometimes lost them. He reveals the methods, motives, and obsessions of those who designed, sold, bought, flew, and fought for the tiltrotor. These stories, including never before published eyewitness accounts of the crashes that made the Osprey notorious, not only chronicle an extraordinary chapter in Marine Corps history, but also provide a fascinating look at a machine that could still revolutionize air travel.