I've been a little frustrated that I've never seen an owl on the Tuolumne River Parkway Trail in the three years I've been exploring the pathway. One just knows they have to be there, given the rich food sources along that stretch of river. I finally heard one downstream of the stairwell at the west end of the trail a week or two ago, but still no sightings.
Yesterday, however, was a most extraordinary day, because in two hours
I saw 38 bird species, including a few that I identified for the first time ever for the area. And among them, much to my pleasure and surprise was a nesting Great Horned Owl (
Bubo virginianus). There isn't much drama in the pictures, and in a nesting situation one doesn't really want drama, but it is neat to know that we'll be seeing some young owls in coming weeks. I'll try to keep you posted on their growth.
UPDATE (3/4/18): Well, drat. I went back to check out the nesting site a week later only to find that it had collapsed and fallen to the ground, I presume during last week's harsh storms. Does anyone know if Great Horned Owls will try nesting again in such circumstances?
Fantastic!!
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