Callum, the text’s protagonist, is an 11-year-old boy who lives with his family on a sheep farm in a coastal region of Scotland. He is kind and sensitive by nature. When his friends are rude to a new girl in the village, Iona, he goes out of his way to befriend her. However, he also gives into peer pressure sometimes and speaks poorly of Iona behind her back. His character arc therefore follows him learning how to trust his own instincts and build positive relationships.

Callum is also interested in wildlife and becomes fascinated with an osprey and her mate nesting on his family’s property. His character arc also tracks him learning how to open up to and connect with animals, following Iona’s example. After Iona dies, he vows to look after the bird and tracks her migration to Africa for the winter. Callum’s emotional attachment to the osprey leads him to take a number of steps to keep her safe. In the process, he makes a new friend in The Gambia and is instrumental in helping her recover from an injury. Callum’s efforts on the osprey’s behalf are repaid when she returns to the McGregor farm to nest the following spring.