Subject: Their arrival on the island tells us precisely what day that is each summer.

From: "Clarence" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2006 08:50:45 -0500

Often called the Camp Robber or Whiskey Jack, the mountain-dwelling Gray Jay will crash a picnic faster than hungry ants.
Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Osprey nests are protected, even on cell towers.
To compensate, these birds move their heads.
They fly in squadrons, heading north, and a few recently landed near Olympia.
There may be several nests near each other. Why does the American Dipper dip?
But a bird does turn its head around and poke its beak under shoulder-feathers to keep its beak warm. Great Horned Owls are large, powerful owls with prominent ear-tufts. But a bird does turn its head around and poke its beak under shoulder-feathers to keep its beak warm. Sitting about three feet tall, this majestic bird has a wingspan of more than six feet.
A Peregrine attacks a flock of shorebirds, igniting a breathtaking aerial display. Shy and sometimes hard to see, the Band-tailed Pigeon lives in low-altitude conifer forests and treed suburbs. Stretch your arms as far as you can, and imagine a bird whose reach is even greater!
Loss of habitat, plus competition by non-native birds, caused their drastic decline. Long ago the tide did not ebb and flow, but stayed close to shore. Listen for the rattling call of a Belted Kingfisher as it flies out over the water, looking for a fish.
Sixty years is a long time for any species to hide out in deep forests, away from human observation, especially such a large, distinctive bird. Bluebirds nest in tree cavities, but clear-cutting and the removal of snags have decreased their natural nesting sites. Chickadees and nuthatches swirl in small chattering flocks in the first light, to drink dew from the cups of leaves.
To compensate, these birds move their heads.
Sixty years is a long time for any species to hide out in deep forests, away from human observation, especially such a large, distinctive bird.