An examination of the body of a mother osprey removed from her nest on top of a light pole in the Amherstview playing fields by a crew from Hydro One this afternoon has lead Sue Meech of the Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre to believe fireworks were responsible.

The bird had died over the Canada Day weekend and her body remained in the nest, sparking fears the decomposing carcass could pose a health hazard to the three chicks still in the nest. The male osprey is still feeding the chicks.

After the Hydro One crew used a bucket truck to bring the bird down, Meech took the bird back to her centre to try to determine a cause of death. An examination showed burns to the bird's left foot and other trauma and bruising to the body, leading Meech to believe the bird had been hit by aerial fireworks.

Jean-Guy and Dawne Pitre, who had been following the osprey family's progress over the past few months, said they had found a spent fireworks tube at the base of the nest on Saturday morning. They had also noticed the mother's wing hanging lifelessly over the nest, sparking the move to remove the body.

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