Observe: A little owl flew into me. Is this a bad omen?

As I was walking in Vancouver’s West End with headphones on, trying to unwind from everyday life, something hit me.

Or rather, flew into me.

At first I thought it was a bat.

It caught my left arm and fluttered directly in front of me, causing me to stop abruptly.

The animal was tiny, no bigger than a pop can. It seemed confused, just like me.

It seemed to orient itself and landed on a blue truck right next to me on Robson Street.

To my surprise, the eyes staring back at me belonged to a tiny owl. I stood there for minutes and was completely impressed by this impressive encounter with wildlife in the middle of the city center. It seems that only the two of us noticed each other.

The moment only lasted a few minutes before he took off and left, reassuring me that he wasn’t hurt and making me grateful for the experience.

Although I have reported on many people’s encounters with wildlife, I have never experienced anything like this myself. I took to social media to find out what type of owl it was.

It turns out I’m lucky to have had that moment.

What kind of owl was that?

Martina Versteeg, head of raptor care at OWL Rehab in Delta, identified it as a northern saw-whet owl.

“I think it’s very lucky that you discover one on your migration route,” says Versteeg. “There are buildings in the way, not just Stanley Park. These guys tend to go a little deeper and need to rest in the trees.”

Northern saw-whet owls are usually very small at around 80 to 100 grams, sometimes even 60 grams.

“We kind of influenced the way her life is now, but I’m glad to see it gone,” she says.

After watching the video, the owl seems to be quite alert.

“It looks around in all directions, so that’s a good thing,” Versteeg says. “He looks a little worried about being outside, but somehow it’s the best he can do.”

She hopes people downtown can do their part to protect the owls. This includes closing blinds to prevent them from flying into windows and keeping cats indoors, as many owls rest in bushes during their migration.

“They’re the cutest little things, they think they’re hiding and blending in.”

OWL Rehab has a 24-hour reporting line for people who spot owls in distress at 604-946-3171.

There are also people who believe that seeing an owl is a sign of both good and bad luck.

Versteeg admits that there are many legends that say seeing an owl can mean bad luck or a bad omen, but she believes it brings good luck.

“How lucky we are that they are still doing well and their numbers are pretty stable,” she says.

If you don’t hear from me or see any of my stories published within three weeks, you’ll know why.