Today I had the distinct pleasure of having Linzy with me during my verymuchneeded Naturing time in GGPark.

Yep. It’s been A WHILE. Somuchso, that I had a hard time remembering my last visit. The last time I saw my owls. Or some Great Horned Owl that I’m still not 100% positive was one of my owls. Been a while.

Linzy wanted to just follow along wherever I wanted to go, so I did most of the Greatest Hits. Always want to do that after it’s been a while.

We started at the South end of the Owl Nursery Trail. And upon my arrival, I was FLIPPIN’ DELIGHTED at the literally ONE BAJILLION California Oak Moths fluttering every which way and more over the Coast Live Oaks and Ceanothus. I’d completely forgotten this was possibly the later time of year to see them out and about and filling the air with pale white fairies. Yes, my Naturing time started WITH MAGIC.

We did a survey of the area for any evidence of the Great Horned Owls of the East. And, nothin’. No one in the Owl Nursery. No surprise there. But a nice sight was seeing THREE Red Admirals fiercely fighting or courting or something. No one in the evenmorechoppedup Fake Nest Tree. We did see a Red-tailed Hawk in the distance, but that was about it. So we ventured on.

We made our way through the CAS Botanical Garden, where all was quiet. No signs of GHOs at the CAS either. But I happened to see a plant on the way to the CAS Back Entrance that I am quite certain I’ve never seen before! Seek thinks it’s Kiss-Me-Over-the-Garden-Gate.

I am not making that up.

Along the Shakespeare Garden’s East End, we spotted a number of Agaricus (I think) mushrooms in the usual spots below the Coast Redwoods. A couple Fungi Fairies had been through earlier. With the bits of rain we’ve recently received, Happy Fungi Times are here again!

The Fairy Door in the Music Concourse (West side) is still there. And the Japanese Snowball plant near the Japanese Tea Garden still has blooms.

We headed up to Blue Heron Lake, where all was quiet on the Eastern Front. Mallards and Gulls and Pied-billed Grebes and two Northern Shovelers were further in.

Down the Pioneer Trail, we stopped so I could share the aroma of the Mock Orange that was in bloom with Linzy. Which is where a woman walking down the trail stopped to warn us of the COYOTE nearby. Indeed one was in that dead end spot opposite the trail from the Log Cabin. Always thought that’d be a perfect spot for a Coyote Den. It looked humbly in our direction but was not interested and soon disappeared.

A Cooper’s Hawk (juvenile, according to Linzy) flew in and landed high up in a tree near the Colonial Trees. And the resident Black Phoebe was flycatching over the grass.

Noticed some slime mold looking stuff on that prime log along the trail. But iNat thinks it’s a Fungi. Hyphodontia, perhaps? Bit too early for more Fungi there.

Sadly, the Fairy Door West of the Japanese Tea Garden is still missing. Boo. But I got to show Linzy how lovely the nearby Garden Heliotrope is. And a Steller’s Jay suddenly appeared then immediately disappeared in the tree adjacent.

We made a quick stop to enjoy the unobstructed views of a Hermit Thrush above Anne’s Garden, then made our way back to find some GHOs. Hopefully.

We walked down the Slime Mold Lab Trail, and it appears that I’m going to have to rename that trail. Almost ALL of the Blackberry bushes on both sides are GONE. Along with just about everything else along that trail that’s not a Tree. Only a couple of those huge logs are still there, so it’s hardly a Lab anymore. BOO!

Maybe that will just be the Owl Trail from now on. We’ll see how well that remaining log does… Did find some Cramp Balls there, though!

While lingering on the trail, Linzy decided to head back and “scan for eyes,” as she says. While doing so, we heard a faint HOOT. And we raced to where it came from. It was coming from high up in the solo Redwood Tree. We could see ONE GHO up there, which sounded like a male. But Linzy heard two different hoots. Then I definitely heard a female hoot. But it was pretty impossible to see into the tree from other spots. So we stood on the meadow, looking up.

Then one GHO flew out and toward the Lily Pond. No hooting soon followed from the Redwood, so we headed to find the Owl that left.

And we found it! Then there were two in the same tree, very close to the Lily Pond. Male and female! Might very well be THE pair I know and love??

Not long after we arrived to find them both did literally ONE BAJILLION American Crows invade the ENTIRE AREA and began a BARRAGE of CAWING and hovered over the whole spot. They were in all matter of branches encircling the Owls. They eventually made their way even closer to the Owls. And I had worried that we may have led them there?

Linzy had to head home, and right after she started walking away the Crows just LEFT. It was ODD! And then it was just me and the Owls. And I just looked up at them. As they resumed duet-hooting. And it was like I was allofasudden back to feeling like the old days, when I would spend so many hours with them so often during any given week. And I was so happy to be with them again.

They flew out North to the Tree Fern Dell, one after the other. And it was unfortunately time for me to go. On my way out, I heard a Pacific Wren calling (that must’ve been below all that time?). Which I don’t think I’ve heard there before?

Got to my car, and a flippin’ COYOTE was just hanging out across Pelosi Dr. I saw that a bicyclist was stopped with his phone, taking photos of something ahead of him. And a Coyote head could be seen from the street. The rest of him was on the side of the AIDS Memorial Grove. Just looking around, casually. Then he down into the AMG, clearly having had enough of us, the paparazzi.

But it wasn’t until I got home and looked at my digital camera photos up close that I realized what I was seeing with those GHOs.

Now, for those of you who’ve been following along for a while, you may remember that there has been some ambiguity as to which GHOs I’ve been seeing round these parts. After that one GHO (that I always suspected was Ma Owl) had an injury to her left eye, things have not been the same in The East. And I’ve not yet been truly certain of who is who anymore.

But the one decent photo I got tonight was of the female GHO looking at me. And she has something strange about her left eye iris! It kinda shocked me to see it, as I recognized what I was looking at. Given this pair is haunting the same trees as in the past, I am leaning toward believing this is indeed Ma Owl and Pa Owl.

True, I’ll never know. All the inconsistent information from the past year. The confusing new pair occupying the Monterey Cypresses across from the street from the CAS (that I didn’t hear at all tonight). It’s tough to be certain of anything.

But, what I know for certain is that this IS the female GHO that had the left eye injury. She’s the one that has favored the Fake Nest Tree the whole year. And due to her injury and perseverance, I’m entirely devoted to her. And I’m comforted she is not alone. We’ll see what next year brings…