<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> <img alt="" src="cid:part1.09090409.03030209@fencibles.org.nz" height="420" width="720"> Who could have known then that the Peregrine Falcon would become first a casualty and then one of the biggest success stories of all? Listen to the earth awaken as dawn circles the globe. With names like the Screaming Piha, the Blue-crowned Motmot, and the Black-necked Red-Cotinga, these are not your average birds. One piercing, cheerful yelp catches your ear. According to myth, Thunderbird was so large and flew so high, it carried the rain on its back and created lightning and thunder. Among the most dramatic wildlife sights of a Northwest winter is that of a huge, silent, all-white owl perched out in the middle of the day: a Snowy Owl, visitor from the Arctic. Urban owls escape the harsh weather of northern Canada or the Cascade or Rocky Mountains, spending the winter in somewhat milder climes. Unrivalled among these is the majestic Gyrfalcon, a regal visitor from the Arctic where it nests. And if you go, consider hiring a local nature guide. And the birds sound different, too! And female birds of prey are most notably bigger than males among hawk species that hunt agile prey, such as other birds. The ducks seem oblivious to the cold, even as they stand on ice-covered lakes and streams. The Twelve Days of Christmas began as a French secular love song. And the birds sound different, too! Just for a LARK, MARTIN and JAY decided to have a SWALLOW. Imagine going into battle with a Bald Eagle as a mascot, screaming high overhead. One crow is just a crow. It is late February, a few miles from the Columbia River in Central Washington. Does the image of a frozen birdbath bring to mind a small yellow bird with ice skates? Among the most dramatic wildlife sights of a Northwest winter is that of a huge, silent, all-white owl perched out in the middle of the day: a Snowy Owl, visitor from the Arctic. Both species will nest only in cavities, such as old woodpecker holes or man-made nestboxes. </body> </html>