Birder finds an owl -- you won't believe what happens next!

Long-eared Owl, with Steller's Jay butt just right of center. Heard the jays going crazy, ran outside, spotted the owl, ran back inside for the camera, shot into the sun right before the owl flew away, and the rest is internet history. Photo's from 2011 -- click to embiggen.

BuzzFeed, baby. The snapshot's on BuzzFeed. Will share a favorite bird photo to make up for this, I promise. 

Cropped, as shown on Twitter's #WorstBirdPic:

For documentation, OK?

And now, to make up for all that, here's a favorite photo, a great photo, that deserves all the attention it gets. Fiery-throated Hummingbirds in Flight, by Raymond Barlow. Follow the link! You'll never guess how beautiful his photographs are. Seriously.

[Edited to add: California Audubon took us to Storify! And now we're on The Dodo! My bad!]