One Great Horned Owl - or Maybe Four

I walked up the trail in Walnut Canyon one afternoon, trying to net & photograph one of the numerous little butterflies (Marine Blues) that were swirling around each other in the Walnut Woodland. As I neared the top of the trail, with camera in my pocket and net in my hand, Mockingbirds & Scrub Jays were mildly scolding at me (I thought). There was also a soft, unfamiliar sound, a gentle rolling "brrrrrrrrrrrrrr", heard a couple of times, coming from the other side of the Toyon shrub in front of me. I reached the top of the trail, passing the Toyon, still focusing on the tiny bluish butterflies, and glanced left- where my eyes instantly locked onto two sparkling golden rings, surrounded by shimmery copper, further surrounded by the dark & light mottling of a Great Horned Owl! It was two yards away, on a dead branch just higher than my head, resplendent in full afternoon sunlight.

Startled, I said "oooohhhhhhh!!!" Also startled, the owl conveyed to me by expression (or by my imagination) "Gaaagghhhhhh!! What are you doing in my house?!!!!" As it shifted position I said "wait- don't fly away- I need a picture of you!!", while pulling my camera out of my pocket. The owl didn't carre about my picture- it flew away to a distant branch, where Mockingbirds and Scrub Jays there scolded it. I got a poor photo of its back, but you can see the "ears"!
Later, a neighbor told me the GHO's had two babies, which means there must be four of them in the neighborhood this summer.

Note: August 6, 2017: There are at least 4, I watched them fly over me at sunset.

Posted on July 29, 2017 11:34 PM by crayonsss