Crossword Genius

Maybe a little snowy in the breeding season? (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

owlet

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'breeding season?' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't see how one could define the other.

'maybe a little snowy in the' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'little' could be 'l' (abbreviation for little) and 'l' is found in the answer.
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is present in the answer.
The remaining letters 'owe' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for owlet that I've seen before include "Towel (anag)" , "new hooter?" , "Young fly-by-night" , "Nestling" , "Baby bird of prey" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.