Atop Food Chain, Ospreys Ingest Many Poisons, Revealing Environmental Dangers
As apex predators, ospreys get a mega-dose of contaminants from their prey.
PITT MEADOWS, British Columbia—On an early spring morning, the Pitt River flows so calmly that the peaks of the Coast Range seem to admire themselves in its glassy waters. A motorboat lifts a wake, and the docks of the marina moan.
Standing on the riverfront dike, Sandi Lee quickly locates a soon-to-be mom.
"There's a nest in the scope," says Lee, offering a look.
John Elliott peers into the telescope. "What stage are we at?" he asks.
"Still sitting on eggs."
In her journal Lee notes who's home: Brown cap. Fierce yellow eyes. Dark necklace on a white breast. Bigger than its companion. A female osprey.
Elliott and Lee are spending a few hours on this river about 25 miles east of Vancouver counting the ospreys
