CHAMPAIGN -- “Birds of omen, dark and foul,” wrote Sir Walter Scott about owls, once considered harbingers of doom, death, and destruction. In Medieval Europe, owls were thought to be witches and an ...

Q. Why are they called screech owls when the only sound I’ve ever heard them make are warbling noises that remind me of musical Morse code? A. I was able to answer this question a few years ago during ...

The sound was unmistakable and led me outdoors to face the thick woods across the road. In the advancing twilight the sound pierced the darkness again, and then again. The ghostly mournful wail, best ...

Q: I would really like to see a screech owl, but I never have. What’s the best way to locate one of these owls? A: These small owls are described as “common” but are notoriously challenging to spot ...

And frights the School-boy from his play. - Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Precision formations of Canada geese and ragged skeins of snow geese riding the turbulence of a northern gale skedaddled across ...

On the chilly morning of Dec. 5, Alex Patton headed into a coffee shop in Utica. On his way out, he glanced across the nearby stream and noticed the bird in the accompanying photo. Sharp-eyed Patton ...

Q:My son and I are fascinated by owls and would really like to see more of them. What owls might we see in the metro area and where should we look for them? A: Two things clue us in that an owl is in ...

"I know it sounds weird but screech owls do produce a whinny-like sound," Sandage said. "I have a screech owl living in my backyard and I hear a whinny every night. At first, it freaked me out and, ...

There are sounds of nature that make me stop what I am doing and listen intently, as if drawn into a deep wildness that is both awesome and yet unnerving. No sound does this more for me than the call ...

Q. Why are they called screech owls when the only sound I’ve ever heard them make are warbling noises that remind me of musical Morse code? A. I was able to answer this question a few years ago during ...