Whooo?

Another nature walk today. Different park, same docent. We covered about three miles of trails we'd been on many many times before, and saw an amazing variety of new plants and animals. Tiny flowers, flies, butterflies, banana slugs, plants whose names I've never heard before. But the owl was the very best. I've never seen one before, ever. This one had a view of the whole valley and farm below, and it kept turning its little owly face back to us til I thought he would unscrew himself. The photo leaves plenty to be desired--the bird was backlit and in shadow and my attempts to bring out detail are a bit garish, but here he is: my first owl!