Sixteen year old David lives in foster care following his father's departure from home when he was small and his mother's breakdown, and attends a rowdy remedial class. He is happiest communing with nature,swimming nude and bird-watching with loner friend Fred. Though he impresses his school teacher with his knowledge of nature a school trip to a nature reserve ends in disaster when he has to kill an injured deer. Following the death of a precocious girl in care with him and the burning down of Fred's hut by a mob who learn that he is an ex-paedophile David sets free his bullying foster-father's captive birds and sets off in search of his real father.