What a gift: a Northern Saw-Whet Owl!

These are nocturnal birds, and it was sleeping on the front porch when I startled it.
Things is, I'd already shoveled the snow on the steps and came out to do it after the winds dumped more snow. It ignored me until I cam out the front door.
It was perched on the mailbox, where our tree frog usually perches in summer. I saw the motion out of the corner of my eye, and it flew off into the tree.
I went out to check the next morning and it was gone in the night.

UPDATE 1.0: I didn't see if for a couple of days. Saturday morning we let Daisy outside and she spotted it, scaring it up onto the wreath in the video. It flew away, and sat on the veggie garden post. This isn't a good place.

UPDATE 1.1: Red is right. The first thing I did was go to All About Birds.org to listen to the Northern Saw-whet Owl's songs. I think, what with these terribly cold days and nights, that it has figured out where the Deer mouse are plentiful: under the birds feeder.

"A tiny owl with a catlike face, oversized head, and bright yellow eyes, the Northern Saw-whet Owl is practically bursting with attitude. Where mice and other small mammals are concerned this fierce, silent owl is anything but cute. "

Nesting boxes are supposed to be 14" high, 10 x 11 3/4" and should be put on a live tree between 12 and 15' high. The hole is 3".  They can nest between March and July, although most between April and June.

I shall have to figure out a good place for it. It seems as if it fell asleep on the mailbox, and sits there in the daytime. I'm going to have to figure out how to protect it form the cats. There is much more food available in summer, and their territory and food hunt, will be easier.

More Meme critters #60