If you've ever heard a frog doing its “ribbet” thing anywhere along the Pacific Coast, it's probably been a Pacific Treefrog. And if you’ve ever seen one of these little critters up close, you know why many consider it one of the most fascinating of all the amphibians.

The red-throated loon is the smallest, most widely distributed, and most distinctive of the world’s five loon species. Annually migrating from summer nesting sites in the Arctic reaches of North America and Eurasia to wintering grounds in the Lower 48, Mexico, Europe, and Asia, this bird can really move.

Early March sure is full of national park birthdays. Today, for instance, is the 28th birthday of Channel Islands National Park, which is composed of a clutch of islands off the California coast. One of the park's claims to fame is the fact that its eight islands are said to host the largest seal and sea lion breeding colony in the United States.

Congressional Democrats are working to see that the omnibus spending bill working its way to President Bush contains language that would bring a halt to private hunts on part of Channel Islands National Park.