Saw-Whet Sighting

One of the smallest of owls in Minnesota is the saw-whet owl. A 3rd grader walking through the pine plantation at the nature center spotted the owl sitting in a fir tree. Word spread quickly about the owl and a group of the staff checked on the bird in the afternoon. It sat very still and didn't seem to be anxious with all the people viewing it. Saw-whet owls are only about 7-1/2" tall and blend into the bark of the trees. They have a greyish-brown back and rusty-striped breast. Its eyes are yellow and the bill is dark.  One other thing the 3rd grader noticed was all the pellets on the ground. About 20 pellets were scattered on the ground beneath the owl's tree. If owls cough up 1-2 pellets/day, how long has the owl been in this area?

Tomorrow I'm going back and try to get better pictures of it. There's also a barred owl that has been spotted near the Sugar Shack. I'll try to get pictures of it, too.