Weston 1946 1. Tyto alba July 12, Virginia Dare Mine, Joshua Tree Natl Mon, San Bernardino Co., California. 10 a.m. one seen 15 ft down in vertical open mine shaft 150+ ft SW of main road to W of Virginia Dare Mine. The mine shaft Looking N was about 8-10 ft square, the bottom being invisible from the rim. When seen first, the owl was perched 15+ ft below rim on rock outcrop, in bright day light. Hill shaft road owl When I appeared it flew down about 36 ft to another rock outcrop in the wall of the shaft. There in the darkness I could hardly see it. It was impossible to get down into the mine to look at pellets or to shoot the owl. The surrounding terrain consisted of barren rocky rolling low hills. Vegetation very sparse, no trees. The mine itself is 1/2-mile to NE of the main road.