There is an element of luck in birdwatching, and sometimes that luck is mostly bad. 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. One stretches out its neck, and the groomer, or preener, twirls individual feathers in its beak, often starting at the back of the head and working around to the front. The ducks seem oblivious to the cold, even as they stand on ice-covered lakes and streams. She is incubating two eggs. Yet one immense field appears snow-covered, blanketed in white. The call of the Common Loon brings to mind a summer visit to northern lakes with sunny blue skies. A Winter Wren may dart from hiding to grab a meal. Yet one immense field appears snow-covered, blanketed in white. Then a Barn Swallow swoops overhead. Many are the short, fluffy kind, the down, whose purpose is to insulate the bird from the cold. Urban owls escape the harsh weather of northern Canada or the Cascade or Rocky Mountains, spending the winter in somewhat milder climes. One stretches out its neck, and the groomer, or preener, twirls individual feathers in its beak, often starting at the back of the head and working around to the front. It has a pleasing and rhythmical song, which it sings even in winter. The ducks seem oblivious to the cold, even as they stand on ice-covered lakes and streams. If this sounds a bit melodramatic, it just might be. The Chestnut-back has a black head with a large white cheek patch, but its back and sides are a rich chestnut brown. According to myth, Thunderbird was so large and flew so high, it carried the rain on its back and created lightning and thunder. Then a Barn Swallow swoops overhead. With names like the Screaming Piha, the Blue-crowned Motmot, and the Black-necked Red-Cotinga, these are not your average birds. Local guides, including those that specialize in birds, are often listed in travel books or are available through hotels or nature preserves. Small forest birds, such as nuthatches and creepers may spend the night huddled together in tree cavities. A crash of the rodent population in their own territories may send the birds into new feeding areas, often hundreds of miles away. 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. Its skillful hunting is enhanced by exceptional sight and acute hearing. Winter brings wondrous birds. Could this be the same sound you remember from a Saturday morning in your childhood? Male Raggiana Birds of Paradise perform elaborate displays to attract females, sometimes even hanging upside-down with their wings pointing upward. Yet one immense field appears snow-covered, blanketed in white. Washington's population nests on Wrangel Island in Russia, northwest of the Bering Strait, and winters on the deltas of the Samish, Stillaguamish, and Skagit Rivers. Winter is a great time to travel to Latin America for birdwatching. It has a pleasing and rhythmical song, which it sings even in winter. One stretches out its neck, and the groomer, or preener, twirls individual feathers in its beak, often starting at the back of the head and working around to the front. High in a leafless cottonwood sits a female Great Horned Owl, her broad head sporting two ear-like tufts. Both are smaller cousins to the American Crow and the Common Raven. In the Amazon, heat and humidity weigh upon you and a cacophony of birdcalls surrounds you. And how do songbirds sit on metal perches with no problem? The prey may change hands several times, perhaps from harrier to Peregrine to eagle. With a call like the bugle notes of a cavalry charge, a Western Scrub-Jay flaps and glides.
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