While most birds are just trying to survive the February cold, the Great Horned Owl is starting a family. These tough predators are the earliest nesters in the Northwoods, laying eggs when temperatures are still well below zero.

They don't build their own nests. Instead, they steal heavy stick nests left behind by hawks, crows, or squirrels. The female incubates the eggs for over a month, sitting through blizzards and sub-zero nights to keep them from freezing, while the male hunts to feed her. By nesting this early, their chicks hatch in late winter and have a head start on growth, learning to hunt just as the spring rodent population explodes. It is a high-risk strategy that relies entirely on the owl's ability to endure the brutal cold.