My Boots n Me is your inspirational source for hundreds of day and weekend trips around Vancouver and British Columbia, Canada. For families and photographers British Columbia has something to offer everyone. Stop awhile and savor what Mother Nature has in store for you.
You will never be disappointed.

~~Karen Cooper~~

BC, Rain and Waterfalls

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Exploring the Gold Rush Trail - The Lytton Ospreys



My aim in exploring the Gold Rush Trail
in British Columbia, Canada
was going to be about the scenery of
this stunningly beautiful part of the province.
It very quickly took on a new life
once I started to talking to the people
who live there.
Their indomitable hearts and spirits
are touching in ways that exists quite rarely in
our world today.
The story of the Lytton Ospreys
is one of those tales of human passion.

Ospreys usually mate for life.
They nest in cliffs and ledges,
far above the hustle of cities and human life.
This pair of ospreys, nesting
right at the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson
Rivers, are probably descendants
of the pair of osprey that have been returning
to this area for eons.
Then along comes man, building railways and roads,
power lines and noise.
The osprey adapt, building their nest in the
power poles amidst high tension wires with the
scream of the railway engines and the
nearby buzz of human habitation in the background.
Along comes some very caring and
concerned power line people and local citizens.
In goes a new nesting pole close to the original nesting site,
an exclusive "Osprey Pole" just for them.
Amidst the kerfuffle of train whistles and
passing cars,
you can hear the cries of this particular pair of
osprey echoing through the canyon walls.
Their haunting cries echo past glories of a species that
has adapted to change and human encroachment on
their otherwise pristine environment.

Their essence prevails, touching
my spirit in ways I cannot describe.

Their story needs telling.


3 comments:

Unknown said...

In the gentlest way I know, which is kind of blunt but not meant to be blunt, I believe that those nesting birds are Ospreys. They are in the same Order as Peregrines, but in the same family as eagles.
The power companies have be very generous to make the nest platforms. They also do the same thing up in the Kooteneys where there are a large number of these platforms, with many of them occupied every year. Like you say, probably by the same families.
Regards
Robin

Karen Cooper said...

Robin -- you are absolutely correct and I have made the changes, thank you so much for catching that for me, much appreciated. :D

Unknown said...

Your most welcome!