Northern Saw-Whet Owl

November 27, 2025

A very fortunate sighting, one night back on November 18, 2016, as I was coming home on our lane just before 9pm. A small bird flew in front of my truck and landed on a tree just on the other side of the lane. It clung to the bark of the tree and just watched me. That gave me a few seconds to get my camera, which is almost always with me. Not enough time though to get the proper lens, or to get the one I had in proper focus but I DID manage to get a picture. A little Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus).

To honor this small Owl, which grows to just 7 – 8 inches in length, I created a Christmas ornament for little Granddaughter.

Now, last night, with several members of our family here for the Thanksgiving holiday, in the middle of the night we all heard a Saw-whet Owl! What a surprise. What a treat.

Another encounter with a Saw-whet Owl, this time shared with several others. Something special to be thankful for.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

4 thoughts on “Northern Saw-Whet Owl”

  2. Lucky you! What an adorable ornament you made! I’m sure your granddaughter loved it. 💕

    1. Hi Diane, I’m so pleased that I got to see this little critter, and that all of us got to hear it one night.
      I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, and you’ll have a super Christmas!
      So very glad you get my posts!
      Bren

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