New Hampshire Interns Discover Tiny Creature Trapped In Snow And Spring Into Action
It was one of those frigid mornings where the wind cuts through every layer and even breathing feels like inhaling shards of ice.
High atop Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire, two interns were busy with their usual duties: measuring snow depths and logging data for the National Weather Service and the Mount Washington Avalanche Center.
They had done this countless times before, but as their eyes scanned the vast, snowy expanse, something unusual suddenly stood out.
It was a small, oddly shaped bump poking out from the snow.
At first, it probably didn’t look like much. Maybe a bit of ice, or a lump of snow that had fallen from a nearby rock.
But when they got closer, they noticed tiny feathers dusted with frost. And then, barely visible, the faintest movement.
It was a little owl, so still that it was hard to tell if it was even alive.
Its eyes were frozen shut, its feathers stiff with ice, and its tiny body shivering from the cold. The observatory shared on Instagram:
“Its eyes were frozen shut, and it was icing up in snowy, foggy and windy conditions.”
The poor thing must’ve been out there for hours, maybe all night, battling snow, fog, and fierce mountain winds.
Without hesitating, the interns scooped it up, cradling it like the fragile treasure it was. They hurried it inside the observatory and wrapped it in warmth.
Knowing they needed expert help, they reached out to Wendy, a local volunteer who happened to be a bird enthusiast.
She tucked the owl safely into a cozy cat carrier, probably the warmest and softest thing that little bird had ever felt, and called the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department for guidance.
Later that day, park staff made their way down the mountain and transported the owl to a team of wildlife experts. Everyone was holding their breath, hoping it’d be okay.
After an exam, the rescuers identified it as a northern saw-whet owl, one of the smallest and most adorable owl species in North America.
It was such a tiny thing, with big golden eyes and a round head that made it look like a fuzzy snowball.
Fortunately, the owl wasn’t injured, just freezing cold and exhausted. As it warmed up, it started to blink its eyes open, fluff its feathers, and shake off the last bits of ice.
It was finally warm, safe, and able to breathe without the sting of snow.
When the little owl was ready, the rescuers brought it back out to the wilderness, where it belonged. After all it’d been through, it still had the strength to spread its wings and return home. The observatory added:
“We hope our Northern Saw-Whet Owl friend lives a long and healthy life.”
I love stories like this because they show how much kindness still exists in the world. Those interns didn’t just follow their job routine that day. They stopped, they cared, and because of that, one tiny owl got a second chance at life.
And honestly, on a cold, icy mountain, that’s the warmest thing there is!
