Excitement

Our niece came down the other day and took one of the kayaks out on the cove. After a while in response to some excited shouting I ran outdoors to see what was the matter.

“Sloane rescued a baby osprey!” came the reply.

Glad our niece was safe, and quite certain nothing could be done for a baby bird fallen out of its high nest, I went back to my book. Soon there was more excitement. I returned to find our kind neighbor lady on the dock, a shovel in her hand, and her guests gamely motoring away toward the navigation light with a round little bundle of feathers, beak, and claws about the size of a softball, wrapped in a towel. 

The osprey nest, perched on the very top of the light’s supporting structure, was far out of reach. What a dangerous and foolish mission, I thought. The parents will be angry like a mama bear. In a moment, one of the guests was out of the dinghy and climbing toward the nest. Mama and Papa Osprey circled warily making no sound or warlike approach.

In the blink of an eye all was well again. Baby was in her (his?) nest. Mama and Papa were back, standing guard. The dinghy departed, and I felt quite foolish. Nothing could be done? Indeed!

Congratulations to the neighbor lady who took charge, Sloane who fished the bird from the water, and the sailors who returned it to its nest. 
For the rest of the weekend all seemed normal around the nest as far as we could tell. But we know so little about these creatures. For example, we've heard it said that if the scent of humans is on a baby bird the parents will disown it. So Sloane scooped it out of the water with her paddle, and everyone took care not to touch it. But is that belief true?  

Another question: If ospreys can carry birds and fish to the nest in their claws couldn't they have returned their baby to the nest? If anyone knows the answers to such questions, we'd like to hear from you.