What a hoot!
Had the same thing happen to me in 1998 in Seattle. As per usual, I pounded the tree on the driveway to knock out the loose needles and then put in the family room. Some days went by and I woke up early and started to make some coffee. I started hearing this load popping noise and began to look around the house for the source. As I walked into the livingroom something came right my head and I hit tge floor. This woke everyone up and they all came out to check the commotion. It was a small owl and by this time had decided to roost on my computer monitor.
We opened all the doors and were trying to shoo it out and it flew towards the open slider, it hit the other side glass and knocked itself out. So we put it in a dog cage and I called wild animal control and got a voicemail.
About 30 minutes went by and it came around so we opened the door and slid the cage over and it flew out. Just about that same time wild animal control called and I explained what happened. Then the guy starts telling me that I just killed it because it probably had a concussion.
I told him if he really cared he should have answered the phone when I called and save that liberal BS for someone that gave a shit.
Then I started to look around and found a dead, headless rat that it brought in with it, sitting on top of the bookcase.
To this day my ex-wife will try to tell you it was in the tree when we bought it, but it had to come in through the fireplace...
Saw Whet owls are small and very tame. I wouldn’t be surprised to find one in a Christmas Tree.
Owl say!