A Northern Saw-Whet Owl Visited the Garden this Week
A spring storm blanketed the valley with 23 inches of snow last Saturday, ending in the early hours of Sunday morning. Just after dawn, I spotted a Northern Saw-whet Owl perched in the backyard. Tiny but fierce, this nocturnal owl likely had been hunting mice and voles throughout the stormy night. Rarely seen but occasionally heard, they are common in our woods at this time of year, when they return from southern wintering areas. It’s magical to imagine these adorable birds nearby hunting, sleeping and attracting a mate just outside our doors. Kathy took the picture at left almost 20 years ago while researching saw-whet owls – more about that below.
Photo by Kathy Seymour
The tiny owl perched on a very thin branch in one of the trees we planted on the back slope (picture right). I ran upstairs to wake Kathy before grabbing my camera, but it flew off in the minute I was gone. It probably sought out the protection of a dense conifer to roost and rest, hidden from the world.
I was surprised when Kathy didn’t express bitter disappointment at missing it. Either she was too sleep deprived to summon the energy, or having thousands of saw-whet owls up-close while banding them more than made up for it.
With help from friends we put up a saw-whet nest box a few years ago (pictured left). The diminutive saw-whet is a cavity nester, and will readily use a nest box instead of natural cavities. This is the time of year females check out possible sites to lay their eggs. Now that we know one was nearby, we are keeping a close eye for activity around the nest box.
Kathy led a research team at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Sanctuary in Lincoln, Massachusetts studying these owls for nearly 20 years. Because of their secretive life styles, their populations are difficult to assess, and special research protocols have been established to keep track of their conservation status. Below are some photos from that time.
