1st Bird of the Year: Great Horned Owl on the Tuolumne River

I'm starting out with the most crummy pictures I'll post all year, but of course there is a story. I was up before sunrise on New Year's Day to find out what the first bird of the year would be. Last year I was surprised that the first bird was a Cooper's Hawk, and this year, the first bird was even more unusual: a Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). Only I didn't see it, I heard it. As far as bird compilation sites like eBird are concerned, hearing a species counts just as well as a sighting. But not seeing my first bird was a little frustrating, as you might imagine.

Last year, I never saw a single owl on the Tuolumne River Parkway trail. In November I heard a Barn Owl, but never saw it either. A Great Horned Owl tried unsuccessfully to nest in an oak along the trail in 2018. But I hadn't seen any since.

So today, I saw the Great Horned Owl! On only the fifth day of the year. But of course, it wasn't nearby. It was across the river, way up in a tree, and looking the other way. But I got pictures! And that's why these pictures are the worst you'll probably see all year.

Happy birding this year!!