R: Great Horned Owl.
Today I managed to see a NEWTOME OWL, OMG!!!
Okokok, so around lunchtime I saw an email to the SFBirds list come through that a Saw-whet Owl was in the SF Botanical Garden.
!!!!!
The last time this was a thing was a number of years ago. And Brian got to see this because Bob heard about it, and off they went. During a work day, I believe. And I couldn’t go.
But because I didn’t have any critical meetings in the late afternoon, and because my boss understands my NEED FOR OWLS, I was able to leave work early to get into the SFBG before their last entry time of 4pm to GO SEE THIS OWL!
And SEE IT, I DID!!!
It was fortunately in a closed-off area. But the tape let you get decently close. AND, it was FLIPPIN’ SO DANG EASY TO SEE. My GAWD. It was in a small tree. Eye height. In an open part of the dang tree.
I cannot believe JUST HOW SMALL this small owl is. Like a large guinea pig upright? Like you could easily hold it in one of your hands. I just stood there for what felt like FOREVER, watching it barely move. Completely unfazed by the incessant upset noises from ALL THE BIRDS in the area. I can’t even count how many times a Hummingbird would fly almost right up to its face and just HOVER in front of it. Even a Black Phoebe got on the ground to look up at it. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet barked at it. It caused SUCH A FUSS.
I eventually had my fill. And I figured I had time to try finding the Great Horned Owls of the East, so off I went. And I heard two duet-hooting as I approached the West end of the AIDS Memorial Grove.
Yep, two were in their most recently favored tree, opposite the maintenance yard fence. No idea if it was Ma and Pa or the Owlet siblings, but it seems like the siblings? They seemed to look around a little more than an average adult would?
Walked around, noting an explosion of perhaps Smoky Dapperling fungi in the darkness off the path. And didn’t hear other GHOs near the Lily Pond. Hard to say what’s going on. More visits are needed. Of course.
But, YEAH. LIFE BIRD. LIFE OWL. FANTASTIC OWL DAY TO BE REMEMBERED, FOLKS!
