WILDLIFE WATCHING -- The diminutive pygmy owl stands less than 7 inches tall, and it's easy to miss.

Birder Teri Pieper of Twisp used her eagle eyes to spot this little guy as she skinny-skied behind friends who had swooshed past the owl in the brush just above their heads without seeing it. She was skiing near Sun Mountain Lodge on the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association trails.

The pygmy owl is an aggressive little bird that preys on rodents and other birds as large as a mourning dove.