Tim’s report:
Last night while I was jogging through the Arboretum near dusk, I felt like I hit my head on a thick, thorny branch. I was wearing an orange baseball hat. I turned around to see what I hit and there weren’t any branches. I thought maybe a crow dive-bombed me but I didn’t hear its wings. I was looking around and then suddenly (and without a sound) a big owl was bearing down on me—talons first, about two feet in front of my face. I hit the dirt. It swooped over me and flew up to a branch 8 feet off the ground. I looked around for a stick, and then I backed away from it. As I was backing out, it followed me, flying from branch to branch. It was dusk but still I think I got a pretty good look at it: It was gorgeous, about 15 inches tall, with a very round face, brown and grey/white stripes, and yellow eyes. I looked online and the owl it looked most similar too was the Great Grey Owl. The one in this photo is a little more brown than the one that attacked me.