Great Horned Owl on her nest

Great Horned Owl on her nest

While visiting a campground in the Carrizo Plain in Southern California, campers mentioned that there was a pair of owls nesting in the large Eucalypt tree in the center of the campground. Sure enough, there she was. It was extremely windy and I didn't have a tripod. The nest was about 20 feet up in the tree. This photo was taken hand-held using a zoom lens--not an easy or ideal situation. Nevertheless, I captured this absolutely magnificent predator looking out over the vast expanse of pristine California grassland. Definitely the sighting of a lifetime for me.