On Memorial Day morning Robbie Fischer and I decided to look for the Spotted Owls that have been seen in Placerita Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains. When we arrived at the advertised location along the Waterfall Trail, a group of birders was already there and pointed out the adult and a nearby chick. This adult was sitting high in the canopy resulting in the appearance of a slightly squashed head.
This is the nominate race, sometimes called the California Spotted Owl which ranges locally through the Southern California mountains north to the Sierra Nevada. Along the coast of Northern California and in the Pacific Northwest it is replaced by the Northern Spotted Owl (S. o.caurina) which is endangered because of loss of old-growth forest and competition from Barred Owls. Northern Spotted Owls are larger, darker and have smaller white spots than California Spotted Owls. There is also a Mexican race S. o. lucida which ranges into Arizona and New Mexico which is smaller yet and paler.
The nearby recently fledged, fluffy chick, was in very bad light. Too bad for decent photos, at least with my equipment.
Panasonic DMC-LZ5 / Nikon FS 3 / 30XWA / hand-held, no adapter.