Owl attacked my head in Discovery Park. Twice!

Have to share this kind of traumatizing but also cool(?) experience. I was running in Discovery Park. ~7:15pm, not dark yet but getting there. Just after the bench near the side trail to the beach, on that downhill section toward the meadow before it gets all sandy, I felt something hit my head HARD. I thought a branch might have fallen on me. I looked around and didn’t see anything, but luckily a couple was walking nearby and told me “that owl attacked you.”

There I see a large owl on a tree branch (not on the trail, a good distance off, this will be important later). I took a picture, gathered myself, and started running again.

And then it attacked me AGAIN. It was unmistakably the feeling of talons hitting me in the head. Pretty hard!

I got the owl’s message and didn’t try to run that way again. The couple witnessed the second attack and kindly took me under their wing (lol) to join the rest of their walk out of the park.

Now I’m just kind of shaken up and wondering what it is that made the owl attack. The couple said the owl looked like it clearly targeted me (like I said it had flown decently off the path between attacks). Did it not like my neon pink shirt?? Was I too fast and speedy???

My head’s a little scratched up, but I’ll be fine. I’m mostly just shaken up and can still feel the feeling of the talons on my head.

Anyway, be safe out there!

And thank you, kind passersby!

Pictured here is the owl between attacks.

Sincerely,

A person who did a lot of work to overcome her childhood fear of birds