Whet's up Buttercup? Whet is to sharpen the blade of a tool or weapon such as a knife or axe. Whetting using "water stones" has been traced back to 79 AD. Modern whetstones often have coarse and fine surfaces. Man made whetstones are shaped for particular tasks. Rectangular ones for knife sharpening and circular stones for axes and/or field work. Manufactured silicon carbide (aka Carborundum) in powder and crystal form has been used as an abrasive since 1895. It's also a semiconductor.
The Northern Saw-Whet owl is named for its distinctive whistle. The whetting call is only heard in the Spring during mating season. There are variations of the call. Some sound like the"snick-snick-snick" of a knife on a Whetstone. Another version is slightly deeper in pitch with a hint of ringing; a "kashing-kashing-kashing" sound. The "kashing" is similar to the sound of a "6', Two-Person Buck Saw"cutting through a log. Guess it depends on your repertoire of recognized sounds.
A more common Saw-whet call sounds like a "Vehicle Backup Alert System." Saw-Whets are small (Robin sized) and really cute.
On a Spring evening in the late 1980's, Diane and I heard and then spotted a pair of Northern Saw-Whett Owls at our Lovells property. For us, a special moment we never forgot.