An Owl visits the Nordic Base Area....

Check this special guest that flew in to Nordic Base Area on December 4, 2009 early in the morning.  

This is a Saw-whet Owl, that flew into an open car, checked out the parking lot, then flew off to check out the Cross Country Ski trails.

The Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is a miniature owl native to North America.

Adults are 18 cm long with a 43 cm wingspan. The Northern Saw-Whet Owl has a round, light, grey face with brown streaks; they also have a dark beak and yellow eyes. The underparts are pale with dark streaks; the upper parts are brown with white spots.

Their breeding habitat is coniferous forests, sometimes mixed or deciduous woods, across North America. They nest in a tree cavities, usually created by a woodpecker. They will sometimes use nesting boxes.

Some are permanent residents, while others may migrate south in winter or move down from higher elevations.

These birds wait on a low perch at night and swoop down on prey. They mainly eat small rodents; on the Pacific coast they may also eat crustaceans and aquatic insects. Like many owls, these birds have excellent hearing and exceptional vision in low light.

The Saw-Whet Owl was named when a member of the National Audubon Society heard the call of a barn owl, which is said to resemble a saw being sharpened with a whetstone, and mistakenly attributed it to this smaller species. It is fairly common, but not always easy to spot.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl)