Earth Journal

  Color
Vol. 8, No. 51
Dec. 21-27, 2000
     
Current Issue
 
The House of 12 Trees
Dock of the Bay
Letters to the Editor
Editorial
Bay Reflections
Burton on the Bay
Earth Journal
Not Just for Kids
 
 
Tidelog
Good Bay Times
Flickerings
What's Playing Where
Reviews
Music Notes
Sky Watch
Bay Classifieds
 
Archives
Behind Bay Weekly
Advertising Info
Subscriptions
Distribution spots
Contact us
 
In Season: Saw-whet Owl
By Gary Pendleton

The northern saw-whet owl is the smallest owl in eastern North America, about eight inches, tail included, with most of its bulk made of feathers. Annual migration brings saw-whets into the Chesapeake Bay region for the winter, where they are sometimes found roosting in evergreen trees.

I first went looking for a saw-whet 10 years ago in a plantation of pines at Hughes Hollow Wildlife Management Area in Montgomery County. I never found one, even though I went back a dozen times over the years. In September 1996, at Mount Rainier National Park, we hiked to a quiet spot next to a remote lake where we stopped for lunch. Out of the corner of my eye I detected movement. Not 50 feet away, perched on a stump in broad daylight, was a saw-whet. Its head was moving side to side and up and down: It must have been looking and listening for prey. Saw-whets are known for their calm in the presence of people, and we had a long, satisfying look at the little hunter.

Research is beginning to show that here in Maryland, the winter population of the saw-whet may be larger than previously believed. Because they are so small and essentially nocturnal, the presence of a saw-whet owl is likely to be undetected by those who pass even within inches of where they roost in the boughs of pines and cedars. Signs to look for are a white wash on leaves or owl pellets below the roosting spot.

This Christmas, instead of looking under a tree I might try peeking inside for a present.


Copyright 2000
Bay Weekly