February 15, 2005
Owling California style
For weeks I've been enviously reading reports of the incredible invasion of owls in Minnesota - literally hundreds of Great Gray Owls, tens of Hawk Owls and a smattering of Boreal Owls for good measure! Eager to get my own owl fix closer to home, I joined Alison, Allan and Sami on a trip to Mercey Hot Springs, where the owners have generously allowed birders access to the on-site Long-eared Owl roost. This site is incredible - we counted up to 15 individuals, including 7 roosting together in the tamarisks. I don't know anywhere on earth that allows such wonderful views of this secretive species!
Alison and Allan produced some great sketches of the bird (visible here), and I uncharacteristically put down the camera and had a go at sketching one myself. I found the whole experience rather relaxing, especially after the craziness of last weekend!
We spent the rest of the day enjoying the gorgeous scenery...
... and the special birds of the Panoche Valley, most notably 8 Mountain Plovers and a flock of Mountain Bluebirds. Perhaps our rarest sighting was this leucistic Ground Squirrel!
