Just Before Sunrise!

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I took this shot at 5:59 AM this morning just as we began hiking out of historical Spotted Owl territory on the north slope (desert side) of the San Bernardino Range.

We were overlooking the Mojave Desert town of Lucerne Valley with Rabbit Dry Lake in the distance, and while we didn't actually see any owls this trip, the crew leader did hear a Spotted Owl respond in the distance with a "crow bark".

Doug dropped into the drainage and called for another 45 minutes or so with no further response.

The Spotted Owls that were once considered stable populations in these north slope canyons have been somewhat elusive and rarely encountered during the past few seasons.