I am glad that I checked OBOL this morning and then played hookey after reading Jen Sanford's account of a tame American Tree Sparrow foraging near the Sea Scout Base off Marine Drive. It is not often that I am able to enjoy close unobstructed views of a life bird - so this was a real treat. The icing on the cake was the three Short-eared Owls, at times close enough to each other to almost fit into the same frame. 

West side of the Sea Scout Base where the American Tree Sparrow is hanging out:

American Tree Sparrow (nine images):

 Short-eared Owl:

On my arrival at the dike, the Short-eared Owl below landed on the ground in a area that I was sure I could approach unseen and photograph at length without disturbing it - the bad news is that several crows chased the owl away before I was able to get into position. 

The good news is that as I was heading back toward the car after nearly filling my memory card with images of the American Tree Sparrow, I watched (what looked like) three owls land on the dike together 200 yards west of my position and I was able to get a few additional images when they took flight as I was attempting to close the distance.

This is the third owl with much lighter coloring than the other two birds:

The prime birding area is located along the bike path between the parking lot (1) and Sea Scout Base (2):