Osprey Nests Around the World
If you are looking for truly unscripted reality television, check out an osprey nest cam. Family squabbles, sibling rivalry, murderous intruders, and first flights are all high drama in the osprey world. Nest cams...
Waiting in Anticipation
It’s early May, and all over the northern hemisphere, ospreys are starting their families. They’ve spent some time sprucing up the nursery, lining the nest with soft materials like grass, and females should be...
Nest Building, Osprey-style
It’s late April, and all over the northern hemisphere ospreys are arriving at their summer homes after a long migration. Males and females usually arrive separately and whoever gets to the nest first begins...
Is that bird wearing a backpack?
You have probably seen birds with bands on their feet. These tiny metal bracelets may be colored and labeled with letters and numbers, all of which can tell scientists a lot about the bird,...
Ospreys are on the Move
How many kilometers do you expect your car will log in the next 10 years? 100,000? 200,000? More? Compare that to an osprey, which may fly more than 250,000 km in its lifetime as...
A nestcam on Kauai
What bird eats mostly squid, can live more than 50 years, and may be able to sleep while flying? The Laysan Albatross, that’s who! While we wait for the ospreys to return to their...
What is a Crystal Kite?
The annual Crystal Kite Award is a peer-given award that recognizes great books by SCBWI members. Fifteen awards are given out in regions around the world, and Canada is one of these. In total,...
A New Book in 2016!
After 15 years of writing, I have learned that the best news doesn’t arrive in the mail. Self-addressed stamped envelopes never contain anything more than rejection. The words I hope for – we’d like to...
The Canada Jay gets my vote for Canada’s national bird!
I know what you’re thinking – Yer daft, McDowell. There is no Canada Jay! But there was, once upon a time, before the bird’s official English name became more commonly used. Gray Jay is...
Last year was a little buggy
It’s not often a book makes me itchy. In fact, it’s only happened twice. I knew I was in for a bit of discomfort when I began researching material for a book about lice. ...
Have you finished reading Ospreys in Danger? Here’s another quiz!
Have you finished the whole book? Congratulations! Now you are ready to take the second quiz – 20 questions for Chapters 4 to 8. And if you would like to share your thoughts about...
Are you reading Ospreys in Danger? Take this quiz!
If you have finished reading Chapter Three of Ospreys in Danger, here’s a little quiz to see how much you remember. The very first line of the book is “I love the smell of...
Can wolves change the behavior of rivers?
Wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone Natural Park in 1995. The result was an amazing impact on deer and elk populations, as well as birds, bears, rabbits and mice — even forests and rivers. Really? Wolves...
