On a hill in San Francisco, known more for its views than its visitors, a quiet crowd has started to gather.

Every day, like clockwork, people show up in the same spot — necks craned toward the sky. At first glance, it might look like a celebrity sighting. And in a way, it is.

"Around April, I started to see photographers up on the hill here," said neighbor Lee Porter.

The newcomers drawing all this attention are a pair of great horned owls and their fluffy, wide-eyed chicks.

Liam Murphy, a designer and avid birder, said he didn't expect this much flap over a few feathers.

"There's something really captivating for people about owls, they have almost like catlike or humanlike faces where the eyes face forward. Just the stare that they give you can be haunting," he said.

In a year when birds have been turning into sensations, like those bald eagles in Big Bear whose nest cam drew millions, this quiet pair has become the toast of Bernal Heights.

Whitney Grover, the Director of Conservation for Golden Gate Bird Alliance, said great horned owls aren't rare, but they're usually nesting much higher up. This pair just happened to pick a tree that puts them practically at eye level for anyone walking by.

"It's not like an incredible phenomenon that they're there, but it's a great opportunity to see them during the day," she explained.

Some come for the photos. Others just come for a closer look. Murphy hopes that whatever brings them, they leave with a little more love for the wild things that share this city. Just as long as they don't get too close.

"People really captivated by the owls but there's a tendency to love them too much," he said.

• San Francisco