We are writing a short story about a stickleback named Cedar who lives at Columbia Springs. Here is the second chapter!
**Chapter 2: Navigating Dangers From the Sky**
Life in West Biddle Lake wasn’t easy for Cedar, the young stickleback. Every day brought a new challenge, a new test of her skills and instincts. Beneath the lake’s calm surface, a world of hidden dangers awaited, and Cedar quickly learned that to survive, she had to be sharp, quick, and always alert.
One of Cedar’s toughest challenges was finding enough food. The lake was full of tiny creatures—water bugs that danced on the surface, small crustaceans burrowed in the mud, and bits of algae clinging to rocks. But the competition was fierce. Other fish, often bigger and faster, were on the hunt too. Cedar had to get creative. She became an expert in ambush tactics, hiding behind rocks or plants and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Her small size, once a disadvantage, became her greatest strength, allowing her to slip into narrow crevices where larger fish couldn’t reach. Over time, Cedar became a master of the quick grab, snatching up meals with precision before anyone else could.
But finding food wasn’t Cedar’s only concern. The lake was full of predators, and Cedar quickly learned that staying safe required constant vigilance. One of the most terrifying threats was the great blue heron, a massive bird with long legs and a sharp beak that could snatch up a fish in a heartbeat. Cedar had seen these birds standing eerily still by the lake’s edge, their eyes scanning the water for any sign of movement. Whenever a heron was nearby, it was a matter of life or death.
Cedar learned to watch for the heron’s shadow. Whenever it passed overhead, she would freeze and dart into the nearest cover, usually a clump of underwater plants or a patch of algae. One afternoon, while she was nibbling on some floating algae near the surface, Cedar suddenly felt that familiar chill—danger was close. Looking up, she saw the shadow of a heron right above her, its beady eyes locked onto her. Without thinking, Cedar shot downward, hiding in the dense vegetation below. Her heart pounded as she watched the heron’s legs wade through the water, its sharp beak poised to strike. But Cedar remained perfectly still, blending into the plants around her. After what felt like an eternity, the heron gave up and flew away. Cedar let out a long breath, knowing she had narrowly escaped
But the herons weren’t the only threats Cedar had to watch out for. The lake was also home to kingfishers, small, sharp-eyed birds known for their incredible speed and accuracy when diving for fish. One day, Cedar had a close encounter with one of these skilled hunters. It was a bright morning, and Cedar was exploring a new part of the lake, the water calm and clear around her. Suddenly, she felt a strange sensation—a slight disturbance in the water above her. Instinctively, she darted toward the nearest shelter.
At that exact moment, a kingfisher plunged into the water with a splash, its beak slicing through the space where Cedar had been just seconds before. Cedar’s heart raced as she hid beneath a thick layer of plants, watching the kingfisher’s silhouette above. The bird searched the water, its sharp beak snapping at the air, but Cedar stayed hidden, perfectly still. The kingfisher, unable to spot its prey, eventually shot back out of the water and flew off, its wings beating rapidly as it disappeared into the trees.
Cedar’s close encounter with the kingfisher was a stark reminder of the dangers that lurked above the water’s surface. These birds were fast and precise, but Cedar’s quick reflexes had saved her. The experience left her shaken, but it also made her more determined than ever to stay one step ahead of the predators that hunted her.
These brushes with danger, while terrifying, also made Cedar stronger and sharper. Every time she escaped a heron or outmaneuvered a kingfisher, she gained a little more confidence. She was learning quickly—becoming more agile, more aware, and more determined. Cedar was no longer just a tiny fry; she was a survivor.
Despite the constant threats, Cedar refused to be scared away. She was small, sure, but she was also quick, clever, and determined. Each challenge she faced only fueled her desire to explore every inch of her home. West Biddle Lake was her world, full of both beauty and danger, and Cedar was ready to take it on.
As she swam through the waters, Cedar felt a growing sense of pride. The lake had tested her time and time again, but it had also shaped her into a confident, resilient young fish. She knew there would be more challenges ahead, but she was ready for whatever came next. Cedar was no longer just surviving; she was thriving, one daring escape and clever hunt at a time
Photos:
West Biddle Lake – Kristine Jacobs
Turning over a rock to look for macroinvertebrates – Paul Peloquin
Great Blue Heron – Paul Peloquin
Belted Kingfisher – Kevin Cole from Pacific Coast, USA (en:User:Kevinlcole), CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Stickleback – Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Great Blue Heron – Paul Peloquin