R: Male Great Horned Owl, sizing me up.
Today I did some re-con for my upcoming Fungi Walk in the Presidio program on Saturday. I was mostly hoping to find this year’s Great Horned Owl nest, so that I could impress folks on my walk by pointing it out. But I was also keeping my eye out for fungi. True, anything mature now won’t likely still be there by Saturday, but it’s nice to know where there MIGHT still be stuff to find the day of!
In the fungi department, I found a handful of specimens. Maybe Tall Psathyrella, definitely Scurfy Twiglets, perhaps Psathyrella longistrata, possibly Cortinarius, delightful Orange Jelly Spot, and what looked like False Turkey-tail to me but may be good ole Hairy Curtain Crust. Not too shabby.
Along the way, while I sadly didn’t find any nests in the usual euc spots on Barnard Ave., a Ruby-crowned Kinglet kept me company from time to time. A Red-tailed Hawk shrieked while soaring over the unofficial dog run area. And a large Yellow-faced Bumble Bee crawled haplessly along the Ecology Trail next to me.
Then I heard A HOOT. A male. Right where I’ve seen them before, typically in the Winter. After stopping to chat with a couple walking their dog, who’d seen the GHO on their way to me, I found him. High up. Hooting away. He soon looked down at me. And stared at me for a glorious bit.
I soon heard a HIGH HOOT. Back up from where I came, somewhat. Couldn’t find her. Headed to the meadow (aka dog run area), crossed the dry stream bed, and walked into the eucs there. Apparently, someone named the trail “Ghost Path” and put a sign there for it, hah.
She was up there. Somewhere. With ANOTHER male GHO! I know this because I could still hear the first male hooting back where he was.
Wasn’t able see either. Those eucs are TALL. But then I heard YET ANOTHER HIGH HOOT. Back where the first male was!! Walking back to try to get a glimpse from the meadow, I saw one fly to the other. Then eventually back to its original spot. It was in the trees too well to be seen from the Ecology Trail. So I just stood at the meadow’s edge. And wondered.
Who are all these four GHOs?? Will be interesting to see if the pair that are usually there nest this year?
