Customer Reviews

Return of the Osprey: A Season of Flight and Wonder

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Beautifully writen, David Gessner takes you on an incredible journey, where you not only learn about the Osprey, but you also may learn something about yourself. For those of you lucky enough to see these "sea eagles" this book will reconfirm what you may already know. For those of you who do not have Osprey in your area it will open your eyes to new possibilities. Thank you David for sharing a part of your world with us.

No coal mine ever had such fiercesome canaries as David Gessner's beloved Ospreys -- the nearly eagle-sized fish hawks making a triumphant comeback around Cape Cod. Gessner makes the reader truly exult in nature as he walks, skinnydips and kayaks through the marshes, backwaters and beaches of Cape Cod observing Ospreys as their numbers recover from near obliteration by the chemical DDT. Only a few writers since Henry David Thoreau have had the depth of writing skill in this genre to share successfully their respectful observations while they take lessons from the natural world. As Gessner learns to observe, he mentors us by his example, and we, in turn, also learn to observe -- even as we are fascinated. Just as an excellent wine writer passes on the tricks and traditions of savoring a fine vintage, then makes us want to rush out and buy a bottle, Gessner teaches us how to "taste" nature, derive meaning from it, and makes us want to take a very long walk in a wild place. He holds these messages together using the Osprey as glue by linking its fate to Humankind's destiny. The regal raptor becomes a hopeful metaphor for civilization, if we will only take a clue from our mistakes and build upon remedies. He also takes the reader on a personal journey, illustrating how one may learn to understand and improve one's self, accept our shortcomings and peculiarities, and those of the people around us. One of the most appealing qualities of his writing morality is the manner in which Gessner introduces the reader to so many other nature writers, environmentalists and colorful local characters. His message makes us want to know more, read more, do more, and he gently provides a roadmap for that journey with a cleverly interwoven book list. He may also be the first nature writer to praise bug bites as a reminder that they are a sure sign you are out where you want to be.

Lyrical and stylish in writing, Gessner is able to create vivid pictures with his words. This gift allows us to be transported to Cape Cod beaches to share with him in his observations on the Osprey's, nature in general, and life, as it can and should be. I am biased however as the town of Dennis where RETURN OF THE OSPREY is set, is no more than 5 miles west of me, and part of my time is spent in similar activities (studying the migration of neotropical birds - specifically warblers). This book has a far broader appeal than for birders or Cape Codder's though. As another reviewer already pointed out, Gessner writes in the best traditions of Thoreau or Emerson. Gessner talks about the life history and behavior of the Osprey, its near extinction and it's recent comeback on the Cape. He does this while exploring the world around him and uses the story of the Osprey as a way of looking at man's role in nature. This is an "experiment in seeing" and to quote Emerson (as he does) "to see is everything".

Ironically it's in trying a bit too hard to be a modern day Emerson where the book falls down a bit. In extending this vision to the personal, Gessner offers us a few too many observations on what the Ospreys and nature means to the inner man. In "exploring the mystery" we could do without him comparing the emotions of watching a diving Osprey with that of his first sexual experience. More scientific observations and less metaphysical ones would have made the book perfect.

On the bridge that carries the CSX tracks across the Potomac River into Washington, D.C., not far from where I work, there is a pair of ospreys that have built a nest. I can see them from the Metro train as I cross the river, parallel to the railroad, every day. This is the first spring I've seen them in the few years I've been commuting on this route. They perch on the power lines along the bridge or the bridgework itself, eating the fish they've caught.

According to Gessner's elegantly written and fact filled book, barring death or injury these young ospreys will return to the CSX bridge year after year to nest. I hope so. They are another sign that the ospreys have indeed returned with vigor to the coasts of our country.

Gessner's book covers a summer observing four osprey nests in the neighborhood of his home on Cape Cod during one nesting season in 1999. It is set in chapters with such names as "Fishing," "Neighbors, Good and Bad," and "Growth and Death" that speak not only of the ospreys but also his own life. As he chronicles his summer with the birds, he reflects on what brought him there and what quest he is on. Each chapter neatly captures the theme, as Gessner's writing expertly leads the reader through the story of his ospreys.

Viewing both the natural world and the inner world of the self, Gessner's writing in many ways reminds me of Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek with a bit of Thoreau's Walden mixed in. It also shares similarities with The Song of the Dodo by David Quammen except on a more intimate scale. This is a wonderful gem of a book.

A few years ago, I went with my wife and children to the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge on Maryland's Eastern Shore to see bald eagles, but the only raptors we saw were ospreys. Lots and lots of ospreys. After being pushed almost to extinction by the widespread use of DDT, the ospreys have returned.

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 demeanor 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 - mobilized 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.

I should have relied on michaeleve's review.
We live on a sound on the Outer Banks and erected a nesting box, perhaps 50 feet from our dock, this March. We were fortunate enough to attract a nesting pair who built their nest, and we currently have three chicks in the nest.
I was hoping to get facts about ospreys from the book, but alas instead I got ruminations and regrets and etc. The author really wishes he was an osprey.
I think this is one of the worst books I have ever bought.
If you want osprey facts, simply Google osprey facts and save yourself from the author's angst.
If I want to reread On Walden Pond, I have a well-thumbed copy.