December 23, 1986

This was my first ever trip out of state, when my grandparents took my sister and I to visit our Aunt Andi and Uncle Larry in Florida. I wasn’t really keeping track of wildlife back then, but I saw a few things that made an impression. We visited Kennedy Space Center, and while on a bus tour of the facility, the bus driver pointed out a number of ☆Bald Eagle☆ nests. Although they weren’t all that close to the road, we were able to see both adults and juveniles. Even from a distance, these birds are so impressive! We also saw many ☆Atlantic Brown Pelicans☆, which are plentiful in Florida. Even though I’d seen the California subspecies regularly as a child, this is my first documented sighting.

1970s (various dates)

These are all wildlife sightings that I remember happening at or very near my childhood home in Los Angeles. I don’t have dates for these sightings, as they are all from memory, but I have noted anywhere I have a doubt about the species identify.

October 31, 1971
Early evening

This ☆Great Horned Owl☆ is the first wild bird I have a clear memory of seeing. On Halloween night when I was around five years old, I was trick-or-treating with some neighborhood children (and parents) when an owl flew down right in front of us and landed in the middle of the Holzer’s front yard. It made a big impression on me, especially since the bird seemed to be about the same size that I was at the time. How can you forget an event like that? This early birding experience definitely made an impact on my young psyche, probably predisposing me to my current fascination with birds, and maybe especially owls.