Trills and whinnies, grunts and warbles, squawks and whistles — birds are capable of an exceptional variety of noises. Whether defending territory, revving up the opposite sex or yelling "HAWK!" to their neighbors, they depend on sound to survive.
This time of year birds begin to sing madly in response to the clanging of their metabolic alarm clocks: Find mate! Nest! Procreate! And birders are listening, tuning up rusty, winter-logged eardrums to play their own version of "Name That Tune."
By Kathryn True | March 10, 2005
Bob Sundstrom of Seattle Audubon offers these tips for the birding-by-ear beginner:
• Relax and stay focused. Try to learn only a few new bird songs at a time and get out in the field often to listen. Repetition is key.
By Kathryn True | March 10, 2005
BELLINGHAM -- Two airborne eagles decorate the mountain, one immature and the other white-headed. The mountain needs it.
The ungainly lummox known as Chuckanut Mountain, south of Bellingham and tucked between Interstate 5 and Samish Bay, doesn't spawn great reverence on first sight.
It's bloblike, a little lumpy. Conquering its slopes without supplemental oxygen won't attract widespread envy or wonder. Its southern bump, Blanchard Hill, isn't even dignified with the label of "mountain."
By Barry Truman | March 10, 2005
VANCOUVER ISLAND -- It's common wisdom that you can never guarantee having good weather on vacation. How about bad weather, though?
We were prepared for tradeoffs when we signed up for an off-season vacation in Tofino, B.C., expecting shuttered storefronts and crashing waves that would restrict us to our hotel room. We even splurged on lodgings at the luxe Wickaninnish Inn, in part, because we wanted to feel we were someplace special even if we were trapped indoors.
By Rebekah Denn | March 10, 2005
Bob Sundstrom of Seattle Audubon offers these tips for the birding-by-ear beginner:
Relax and stay focused. Try to learn only a few new bird songs at a time and get out in the field often to listen. Repetition is key.
March 10, 2005
Hike of the Week
You can see the silver ribbon of Wallace Falls hanging from a wall of greenery a little west of Gold Bar on U.S. Route 2. But its pretty tumble from the cliffs is just one of the year-round treats of 4,735-acre Wallace Falls State Park.
By Karen Sykes | March 10, 2005
PORTLAND — Krista Arias, 34, whips up gourmet riffs on French crepes from a kitchen inside a streamlined trailer behind La Palabra, a "philosophy" cafe where locals meet to sip mint-laced hot chocolate and read Aristotle.
At Every Day Wine, Beth Boston, 35, tells customers "the list is on the wall," referring to her inventory of 400 bottles for sale, any of which she will pour by the glass. And because she brings her dog to work and therefore can't serve food, she invites patrons to bring their own.
By Carol Pucci | March 10, 2005
Location: Fidalgo Island.
Length: About a mile round-trip loop to Rosario Head; additional trails lead from the eastern parking lot.
Level of difficulty: Level-to-moderately steep, dirt/gravel trails.
By Cathy McDonald | March 10, 2005
