Not really John. Short Eared Owls, like other owls will often stash prey that they've caught to make up for days and nights when they're unable to hunt due to bad weather.
Short Eared Owls also nest on the ground and not in trees. The owl probably just flew into the trees to devour it's prey or stash it somewhere.
This evening I've seen a short-eared owl carrying prey into a young plantation (but despite hanging around for 30 mins in the cold..this was not repeated).
