Frightful's Mountain

This story is about a peregrine falcon named Frightful. When she was not even two weeks old, a boy named Sam, who lived in the woods, had taken her from her nest and saved her. He had raised her and trained her very well. They grew up to be close friends and they would hunt together and they shared their food. Until one day when government people game to check out the place so Frightful had to go because she couldn't be under an owner. She tries to survive by herself but her animal instincts don't kick in. She helps nurse 3 chicks, whose mother had died, with a male falcon named 426. Frightful isn't very comfortable with "mothering". During the time of her "parental work", she becomes friends with a dog named Mole who helps her gather food for her chicks. Later, she misses the migration because she had never done it before. She goes on to live at a church tower where there is an abundance of small pigeon-finches for her to feed on. Later she finally bores 3 of her own eggs with 426. But they were being nested on a bridge rail which has construction work to be done. With all the noise of drilling, pounding, and explosions she still stays put. When one hatches she names it Oski, the wide-eyed. Read this book to find out what happens to her 3 chicks! This really is an awesome book!