DEAR JOAN: I’m used to the squawking of Steller’s jays, but one regular visitor to our yard mimics the cry of hawks in our area. Have you ever heard of this? Any explanation? — Gary Summers, Walnut ...

After a storm, the mountains are still, and sounds are muffled by the deep white powder that weighs down the bending pine boughs and covers the forest floor. At times, the only sound in the silence is ...