Nature

Narrator

WINTER IN THE ARCTIC IS AN ENDLESS POLAR NIGHT. SNOWY OWLS ARE ONE OF THE FEW CREATURES THAT LIVE HERE. SUMMER BRINGS RELIEF, BUT ALSO NEW CHALLENGES. FOR THIS SNOWY OWL PAIR, IT'S RAISING A FAMILY. THEY HAVE A NEST OF FRAGILE NEWBORNS, AND THEIR LIVES ARE NO LONGER THEIR OWN. THERE ARE FIVE HUNGRY MOUTHS THAT CONSTANTLY NEED TO BE FED, AND PREDATORS ARE OVER EVERY HILL. THIS IS ONE FAMILY'S STORY OF SURVIVAL IN THE HARSH ARCTIC TUNDRA. AND THESE PARENTS MUST WORK MAGIC TO KEEP THEIR CHICKS ALIVE.

BIRD CALLING

Narrator

IT'S WINTER IN THE HEART OF THE MIDWEST, AND SOME REMARKABLE VISITORS HAVE ARRIVED. THESE ARE YOUNG SNOWY OWLS. THEY CAN APPEAR UNEXPECTEDLY IN PLACES LIKE THIS, AND THEN... JUST VANISH. SNOWY OWLS ARE MYSTICAL CREATURES, A STARTLING SIGHT IN BROAD DAYLIGHT AMONG THE HOMES AND FARMLANDS OF WISCONSIN. THESE YOUNG SNOWY OWLS ARE HERE TO AVOID THE WORST OF THE ARCTIC WINTER MUCH FARTHER NORTH. THE WEATHER DOWN HERE IS LESS EXTREME. AND FOR A YOUNG PREDATOR, PREY IS EASIER TO FIND. THESE OWLS HAVEN'T YET FULLY MASTERED ALL THE SKILLS NEEDED TO SURVIVE AN ARCTIC WINTER, AS THEIR PARENTS CAN. A RARE GLIMPSE OF THEM LIKE THIS IS AS CLOSE AN ENCOUNTER WITH A SNOWY OWL AS MOST OF US WILL EVER HAVE. THEY BELONG TO A FARAWAY WINTER WORLD, TOO HARSH FOR US MERE MORTALS. SNOWIES ARE ONE OF THE BIGGEST OWLS IN THE WORLD, STANDING TWO FEET TALL, WITH A WINGSPAN OF FIVE FEET. THEY ALSO HAVE EXTRAORDINARY VISION. UNIQUE, TELESCOPIC SIGHT ALLOWS THEM TO LOCK ON TO PREY FROM GREAT DISTANCES. BUT THEY'LL NEED MORE THAN SKILL TO SURVIVE IN THE ARCTIC. THEY'LL NEED COURAGE AND DETERMINATION TO TAKE ON THE LAND OF SNOW AND ICE. THIS IS THE ARCTIC. IN WINTER, THE SUN REMAINS PERMANENTLY BELOW THE HORIZON IN A CONTINUOUS POLAR NIGHT. ADULT SNOWY OWLS HUNT HERE THROUGHOUT THESE COLD, DARK MONTHS, SURVIVING AS IF BY MAGIC. ONLY THE MOST EXPERIENCED ARE CAPABLE OF LIVING YEAR-ROUND IN THIS EERIE, BLEAK, FROZEN LAND. AS WELL AS BEING TELESCOPIC, THESE EXTRAORDINARY EYES ARE SENSITIVE ENOUGH TO SEE IN THIS PERMANENT TWILIGHT. BEING POWERFUL OWLS, THEY CAN TAKE LARGE PREY -- SUCH AS ARCTIC AND SNOWSHOE HARES. THERE'S OFTEN LITTLE CHOICE. THERE IS NOT MUCH LIFE UP HERE AT ALL. BUT LIGHT IS SLOWLY RETURNING TO THE ARCTIC. IN THE DIM GLOW OF THE ARCTIC DAWN, THE TRUE MAJESTY OF THE SNOWY OWL CAN BE SEEN IN ITS FROZEN, WHITE KINGDOM.

WIND HOWLING

Narrator

THERE IS LITTLE RELIEF FROM THE CONSTANT WIND. FOR ADULT SNOWIES, THE LENGTHENING DAYLIGHT MEANS THE CHANCE TO BREED IS DRAWING CLOSER. IT MAY NOT LOOK LIKE IT, BUT THE START OF THE SHORT ARCTIC SUMMER IS RACING TOWARDS THEM. THE OWLS MUST NEST ON THE FIRST SNOW-FREE PATCH OF TUNDRA THEY CAN FIND. FROM YEAR TO YEAR, THIS CAN BE IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PLACE, ANYWHERE ACROSS THE ENTIRE ARCTIC. IT'S LATE MAY, AND IF WE'RE TO SUCCEED IN FILMING SNOWY OWLS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND THEM SOON. OUR INTREPID TEAM, LED BY CINEMATOGRAPHER, MICHAEL MALE, SETS OUT ACROSS THE TUNDRA. SNOWY OWLS COULD BE BREEDING ANYWHERE FROM SIBERIA TO CANADA. NOT EVEN THE SCIENTISTS KNOW WHERE WE SHOULD BE. IF NUMBERS WERE HIGH IN ONE AREA LAST YEAR, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THIS SUMMER WILL BE THE SAME. THERE IS EVIDENCE FROM REGURGITATED PELLETS THAT OWLS HAVE BEEN HERE RECENTLY -- BUT NO SIGN OF A NEST. DAYS PASS, AND WE STILL HAVEN'T FOUND ANY BREEDING SNOWIES.

WATER TRICKLING

Narrator

WE HOPE THIS YEAR WON'T BE ONE OF THOSE WHEN HARDLY ANY OWLS BREED AT ALL. IT'S JUNE ALREADY, AND ALL AROUND US, SNOW AND ICE ARE MELTING AT GREAT SPEED. THE EXPOSED TUNDRA ATTRACTS MIGRANTS FROM THE SOUTH. THEY'RE ALL LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO NEST. SUMMER LASTS JUST A FEW SHORT MONTHS. ANYTHING CHOOSING TO BREED MUST GET A MOVE ON. THE SUN NOW STAYS PERMANENTLY ABOVE THE HORIZON. IT WILL NOT SET AGAIN FOR 82 DAYS. A LEAD FROM A SCIENTIST HAS BROUGHT US TO THE NORTH SLOPE OF ALASKA. IN SOME YEARS, THE TUNDRA HERE IS DOTTED WITH DOZENS OF SNOWY OWL NESTS. SO FAR, THOUGH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOTTEN IT ALL WRONG -- AND THERE WILL NEVER BE TIME NOW TO MOVE TO ANOTHER PART OF THE ARCTIC. THEN, A SUDDEN ATTACK BY A MALE SNOWY OWL MAKES US THINK THAT WE'VE WALKED INTO HIS BREEDING TERRITORY.

OWL CALLING

Narrator

ANYTHING THAT COMES WITHIN A MILE OF A SNOWY OWL'S NEST CAN GET ATTACKED LIKE THIS -- EVEN WOLVES AND POLAR BEARS. WE HAVE TO SET UP THE HIDE A LONG WAY BACK TO AVOID DISTURBING HIM AGAIN. IT'S A HUGE RELIEF TO BE SETTLED IN. THE MUCH LARGER FEMALE IS DEFINITELY SITTING ON EGGS, AND AT LAST WE CAN START TO OBSERVE AND FILM.

OWL CALLING

Narrator

SHE'S THE ONLY NESTING OWL ON THE WHOLE TUNDRA. WE CAN'T SEE ANOTHER BREEDING PAIR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THIS LANDSCAPE. IF SHE FAILS, OUR EFFORTS ARE DOOMED.

SCREECHING

Narrator

THE ABSENCE OF ANY OTHER OWLS MUST BE SAYING SOMETHING. IS OUR PAIR DOING THE RIGHT THING BY TRYING TO BREED IN THIS SPOT? ONE OWLET HAS HATCHED. THERE COULD BE MORE. WE KNOW THAT SNOWY OWLS CAN LAY UP TO 14 EGGS, THE BIGGEST CLUTCH SIZE OF ANY OWL. THE OWLETS HATCH EVERY FEW DAYS, BUT UNDER HER BLANKET OF FEATHERS WE HAVE NO IDEA YET HOW MANY THERE ARE. THE MALE CAN BE SEEN FROM WAY OFF. HIS BRIGHT WHITE PLUMAGE SIGNALS TO OTHERS THAT THIS IS HIS TERRITORY. WITH THE MORE CAMOUFLAGED FEMALE KEEPING THE OWLETS WARM, CATCHING PREY IS ALL UP TO HIM. IN WEATHER THIS GOOD, HE MUST SPEND ALL HIS TIME HUNTING -- CONDITIONS HERE CAN CHANGE IN AN INSTANT. FOG OR STRONG WINDS WILL MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM. THE SUCCESS OF THIS YEAR'S BREEDING WILL NOW DEPEND ENTIRELY ON HOW MUCH PREY THERE IS FOR HIM TO HUNT. HE'S CAUGHT SOMETHING. IT'S A BROWN LEMMING. ON A RARE, CALM DAY LIKE THIS, HE CAN REALLY PUT THE HOURS INTO HUNTING. WHILE THE CHICKS ARE THIS SMALL, IT'S HER JOB TO BREAK THE FOOD UP INTO BITE SIZE MORSELS -- THOSE LITTLE MOUTHS COULD CHOKE ON MORE. SHE'S SO FAR-SIGHTED, SHE CAN'T SEE THE OWLETS WHEN THEY'RE THIS CLOSE TO HER FACE. THE BRISTLES OVER HER BEAK HELP HER FEEL FOR THEM. ARE THERE NO OTHER OWLS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THERE'S NOT ENOUGH FOOD? SNOWIES SOMETIMES PREY ON PECTORAL SANDPIPERS AND RED PHALAROPES