Kippy The Osprey

• Jed Law-davis, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2008

Kippy the osprey



These are excerpts from the private diary of Tyson Doyle.

Thursday 13 of May
The tears in my eyes were distorting everything in view but if I wasn’t crying it still wouldn’t have made any difference because the gloomy rainy weather that reflected my emotions was splashing on the car windows. I was trying to get a last moment’s glimpse of our friendly neighborhood where I had spent most my life in so many memories and all I have to remember them by is the number 3 from our front door which I hurriedly unscrewed and shoved in my pocket before reluctantly rushing to the car.

We have to move out to a very remote coastal area because my dad is the new lighthouse keeper. We’re moving because Mum died and Dad wants to get over her death so he has taken a job in a remote coastal area 70kms from the town of Port Cleary.

I really don’t want to move for several reasons;
1. Because there’s no school so I won’t make any friends.
2. Because what can be more boring than going for big long walks in the bush and at the beach on your own?
3. Because I love the hustle and bustle of the city and all the different people whereas where we’re moving there’s like just, Dad and me.
4. Because I grew up in the city and belong there.
5. Because all my friends live in Perth.

Saturday 15 of May
We drove in under a big sign that said welcome to the blowholes and under that it said king waves kill. Dad is really strict with rules and said that I can’t go near any wildlife or go to the island. So I just stood in my room and look around. On the windowsill I found a fish bone and under my bed was an entangled fishing net and an old typewriter. What?! No computer and no phone range?! Time to ditch the mobile.



Wednesday 19 of May
Today I went for a walk along the beach with the stench of dead fish hanging in the frosty morning air the chilly water splashed up on the coal-black rocks. The sun was rising over the cliff face in front of me. To get the sun out of my eyes I looked out to sea and there was the island. Since it was early the tide was low so I just walked over the oyster beds and I was there. I got to the island and saw a pile of old fishing nets, sticks, rope, bones, leaves and feathers. Then I heard a tseeeeeeew above me! I looked up and I saw a large mother osprey. I had a glimpse in the nest and saw what resembled osprey eggs.

Wednesday 16 of June
Today I woke up and there flapping franticly with a rope furiously entangled around his left leg was a juvenile osprey chick. I ran over and opened the window just as he was about to fall I reached out and grabbed him. Just great now I’ve broken both of Dads rules, I’ve gone to the island and touched wildlife. I took him inside and ran to the kitchen. I grabbed a tea towel and some kippers. I wrapped him in the tea towel and gave him the kipper’s which he gobbled down in 2 seconds so I named him Kippy.

Saturday 19 of June
I’ve been having so much fun running along the beach with Kippy flying next to me. I got the rope undone around his left leg but now he has a very distinctive limp and flies most of the time. Today Dad found Kippy and asked me if I knew about him. I had to confess so I told him all about me going to the island and all about me rescuing Kippy he said rescuing Kippy was very good and all but hiding him behind his back was downright disobedient like going to the island.

Sunday 20 of June
Today I had to let Kippy go free, it was so hard and made me gloomy again.

Sunday 17 of July
This morning as I was about to do my chores I heard a tseeeeeeew and looked around. I thought it was my imagination because I hadn’t seen Kippy in four weeks basically a month. I opened the door and there with his head cocked to the right was an osprey with a distinctive limp!

Sunday 24 of July
Dad has seen how happy I am with Kippy back and has let me keep him as a friend.



The End