Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1238602 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Customer Reviews

A modern classic
The Osprey is an iconic bird. It feeds by hunting over open water and swooping to seize often quite large fish which it then takes to a perch or to its waiting mate and chicks. Its demeanour is serious, its appearance commanding of respect. Kites soar. Falcons dash. Eagles loiter. But Ospreys work. They are not birds with time to waste.

Those of us who have been fortunate enough to observe Ospreys in the wild understand their unique appeal. Those who still have that pleasure ahead of them will only be inspired by David Gessner's outstanding book. He gives us half a year of his life. Through his eyes and effortlessly beautiful prose he allows us to share his education as he teaches himself about these wonderful birds through reading and through talking to others but mostly through weeks of perceptive observation and reflection.

Osprey numbers in North America and Europe collapsed in the second half of the twentieth century. The culprits were the usual ones - you and me. But enlightened and determined citizens in many countries - not least in Cape Cod where Gessner lives - mobilised to save and protect the birds who survived and Osprey numbers are now recovering. Gessner tells this story almost incidentally as his attention focuses on a handful of pairs nesting over one season within a few miles (or, in one case, yards) of his home. Through their stories he gains an understanding of the challenges which Ospreys face and an appreciation of their tenacity. And through the quality of his writing, his education is our education.

The attraction of the book to an ornithologist is likely to be its subject. To the general reader its appeal will be the lucid prose and surprisingly compelling narrative. But every reader should recognize and admire Gessner's humanity, his wit, his passion, and his compassion. 'Return of the Osprey' is an inspiring read.