Owl Watch 2008, by M

So one night we were all in a good mood, sitting around outside and contemplating nature. I get this email from National Geographic about a BioBlitz. Which you know scientists combing the hill, collecting data.... sounds awesome. So we signed up cuz we're weird like that. When we got there it was slightly lackluster- like we were the bastard site for the real exciting stuff going on closer to the coast. Tipped over Welcome sign. No t-shirts or balloons... and ourselves were like the rebels of the owl group- we didn't quite look the part- not in khaki, not carrying binoculars, but mom and I are pretty into birds and CA nature. Obvi. But Amber and I are downright well, dangerously, full of attitude. And had about 5 valid criticisms of the event within 2 minutes. But we held it together for mom. There was an ecology major doing it for credit, and asked us what our majors were. We slyly implied that we were "done with that"... and then the two fanatical birdists, which you have to be to go out night after night and try and observe owls and get this stupid grin every time you hear the black phoebe flycatcher or the wren call from here or there or everywhere... who knows, and be president of the LA Autobahn society. And then tell us how they met, which was on a birding cruise, and that there's no use in not marrying someone who's not "into" birding. They were admittedly sweet. But the problem was the following: inability to engage field participants into scientific observation of subjects or lack there of, ignorance of area- as the experts were better practiced in the San Gabriel mountains and didn't know how high traffic Griffith park actually is... which is a lot. And then tell us 3 hours into the event around 11pm, saying that because its nesting season they may not be provoked to come and explore possible intruders. WTF? Don't tell your few beleaguered troops that this entire expedition was for naught- minute1.

But anyway we saw 2 coyotes and 1 creepy runner guy, who sometime around 9pm went running thru a fenced area, thru a trail and disappeared, only to be spotted later, standing like a statue at the edge of the road for more that a few minutes. CReePY. Oh, and the Dwight Shrute of the BioBlitz- the batting team. Yes, actually looking for bats. Full utility belts, head lamps and a very intense attitude of CBB. on a MISSION.

But anyway I don't know why I'm telling you all this- I should've made it a story- given you the sense that we heard our quiet steps up the trails and treading thru sand. That we stared up in the warm night and saw stars and the still shadows of the trees and heard the scurries of creatures- all of us gazing out and waiting for something that never came, and the hours passed and we walked and talked and continued to keep looking out and into the night, hoping against all contrary signs, to see something. Because we knew, it just had to be there.