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Owl Sense
'Her softness took my breath away. Deadly beauty. She turned her face towards me. The owl's massive facial disc produces a funnel for sound that is the most effective in the animal kingdom'Owls have captivated the human imagination for millennia. We have fixated on this night hunter as predator, messenger, emblem of wisdom, something pretty to print on a tote bag or portent of doom. Darlington sets out to tell a new story. Her fieldwork begins with wild encounters in the British Isles and takes her to the frosted borders of the Arctic. In her watching and deep listening to the natural world, she cleaves myth from reality and will change the way you think of this magnificent creature.
Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2018
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About the author
Miriam Darlington
11 books43 followersMiriam Darlington was born and brought up in Lewes, Sussex. She lived and worked in France for two years, then studied at Sussex University. On graduating she wrote a teen-novel, then studied for an MA in children’s literature at the Roehampton Institute, and later gained a PGCE to teach in secondary school. She taught French and English for 12 years whilst still writing poetry and prose, before becoming a full-time writer in 2007.
A prize-winning poet, she gives readings and workshops at literary festivals and events, and has one full collection of poetry, Windfall which was published by Oversteps Books in 2008. She has written a book for young children, Footprints in the Sand, an ecological tale about rivers. In 2009 she gained funding to complete a book on otters in conjunction with a PhD at Exeter University. She writes for The Countryman magazine, Resurgence and Archipelago, edited by Prof Andrew McNeillie. She lives in Devon with two children, one dog, two cats, four chickens and one husband.
A prize-winning poet, she gives readings and workshops at literary festivals and events, and has one full collection of poetry, Windfall which was published by Oversteps Books in 2008. She has written a book for young children, Footprints in the Sand, an ecological tale about rivers. In 2009 she gained funding to complete a book on otters in conjunction with a PhD at Exeter University. She writes for The Countryman magazine, Resurgence and Archipelago, edited by Prof Andrew McNeillie. She lives in Devon with two children, one dog, two cats, four chickens and one husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
March 19, 2021
A bit of a detour from the hallowed halls of literature into one of my other interests: owls! This very much does what it says on the tin, it is about owls. Miriam Darlington is a bit of an obsessive. She spent a year tracking and trailing otters in the UK and wrote about that. She is also a poet. Here it is owls and an attempt to see all of the British and European owl species in the wild which meant trips to Serbia, Finland and France. There are chapters on the Barn Owl, Little Owl, Tawny Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Pygmy Owl, Snowy Owl and Eurasian Eagle Owl. There is a bit of owl lore and its history present and an acknowledgement that a recent surge of interest owes much to Harry Potter.
There is a good deal of detail about the habits and behaviour of owls, both savoury and unsavoury. However Garlington does fix the owls within the landscape and terrain:
“And when it did fly off I saw, or rather heard, its display flight; as the sun flashed like brass on those long slender primary feathers and it clapped its wings together the sound echoed sharply back to us; the brightness of it rang out, as if those wings had been mined from deep out of the moor, their surface forged from metal”
Darlington weaves into all this the problems she had with her teenage son at the time and an undiagnosed illness which seriously affected the family (eventually diagnosed as Non Epileptic Seizure Disorder).
This is also part entertaining travelogue and Darlington is good at painting a verbal portrait of her journeys and the eccentricity of the people she meets. There ae plenty of facts and figures and on the whole the writing is good. There is a bit of preachiness at times and if you don’t like owls it won’t be for you: but I enjoyed it.
There is a good deal of detail about the habits and behaviour of owls, both savoury and unsavoury. However Garlington does fix the owls within the landscape and terrain:
“And when it did fly off I saw, or rather heard, its display flight; as the sun flashed like brass on those long slender primary feathers and it clapped its wings together the sound echoed sharply back to us; the brightness of it rang out, as if those wings had been mined from deep out of the moor, their surface forged from metal”
Darlington weaves into all this the problems she had with her teenage son at the time and an undiagnosed illness which seriously affected the family (eventually diagnosed as Non Epileptic Seizure Disorder).
This is also part entertaining travelogue and Darlington is good at painting a verbal portrait of her journeys and the eccentricity of the people she meets. There ae plenty of facts and figures and on the whole the writing is good. There is a bit of preachiness at times and if you don’t like owls it won’t be for you: but I enjoyed it.
February 14, 2018
Owls have fascinated and terrified people for thousands of years. These raptors, most of whom hunt at night or at the witching hour of dusk have been seen as the harbingers of doom or symbols of wisdom. Nowadays science has explained just how specialised these beautiful birds are. They use their wise looking faces to focus the minutest sound into their binaural hearing, how their feathers have evolved to ensure that they are utterly silent when flying.
She could hear owls calling from her bedroom window and wanted to see if she could spot them as they went looking for food each night, and discovering her local owls sparked something inside her. Initially, Darlington was intending to head out onto the moors and woods to find the five species of owl in Britain, which are the Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Little Owl and the Short and Long-Eared Owls, but like with the otters in her previous book these elusive birds became an obsession too.
This fascination with the owls of the UK takes a step up when she finds herself booking a flight to Kikinda in Serbia to see the thousands of Long-Eared Owls that visit the town. Now Darlington is completely hooked and trips to southern Spain, France and Finland are arranged to see the Pygmy Owls and Snowy Owls.
Like a lot of natural history books at the moment, there is a personal element too, and this is no different as she tries to balance work and family life and they find out that her son Benji has a condition that affects the decisions that he can make with his life. It is full of fascinating details and facts and is a touching book about those most elusive and silent of raptors and the way that Darlington becomes besotted by them; if you liked Otter Country then this should be on your reading list.
She could hear owls calling from her bedroom window and wanted to see if she could spot them as they went looking for food each night, and discovering her local owls sparked something inside her. Initially, Darlington was intending to head out onto the moors and woods to find the five species of owl in Britain, which are the Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Little Owl and the Short and Long-Eared Owls, but like with the otters in her previous book these elusive birds became an obsession too.
This fascination with the owls of the UK takes a step up when she finds herself booking a flight to Kikinda in Serbia to see the thousands of Long-Eared Owls that visit the town. Now Darlington is completely hooked and trips to southern Spain, France and Finland are arranged to see the Pygmy Owls and Snowy Owls.
Like a lot of natural history books at the moment, there is a personal element too, and this is no different as she tries to balance work and family life and they find out that her son Benji has a condition that affects the decisions that he can make with his life. It is full of fascinating details and facts and is a touching book about those most elusive and silent of raptors and the way that Darlington becomes besotted by them; if you liked Otter Country then this should be on your reading list.
February 4, 2019
Esteemed nature writer Robert Macfarlane calls Miriam Darlington's Owl Sense 'a beautiful book; wise and sharp-eared as its subject.' Darlington, who has a PhD in Nature Writing and teaches Creative Writing at Plymouth University, has honed in on the owl as her focus in this part-memoir, part-historical musing, and part-nature book.
The book's blurb sets out our fascination with the often elusive creatures, who have roamed the earth for over 60 million years: 'Owls have captivated the human imagination for millennia. We have fixated on this night hunter as predator, messenger, emblem of wisdom or portent of doom.' Here, Darlington 'sets out to tell a new story', by going on 'wild encounters' throughout the British Isles, actively looking for different native owl species. In her prologue, she further explores this enchantment which owls have had upon humans; they have 'been part of our landscape, psychological context and emotional ecology from the moment Homo sapiens became self-aware.' She then sets out the differing ways in which owls have been viewed in different cultures and historical periods, from the 'guardianship of the underworld' in Egyptian, Celtic, and Hindu cultures, to the wisdom and courage imbued upon the owl by the Ancient Greeks.
Darlington takes the decision to extend her project, seeking to 'identify every European species of this charismatic' bird, and travelling to Spain, France, Serbia, and Finland to see them in the wild. In order to undertake her research, Darlington set out to 'scour the twilit woods, fields and valleys of my home archipelago and then reach further afield, learning about the ecology and conservation of these night-roaming raptors, about their presence as well as their absence. What was their place in our ecosystem; how and why have we made them into stories, given them meanings, wrapped them with all the folklore and superstition that we could muster?'
Early on, Darlington explains her reasoning for this particular project, writing: 'So what can a writer do, faced with a world whose wildness appears to be unravelling?... This is the story of my journey to explore those ecological details, paying attention to the incremental shift owls have experienced, and still are experiencing, from wildness to a kind of enforced domesticity. I wanted to immerse myself in their world, from the wild owls to the captives that are kept in aviaries and sanctuaries and beyond, to look into the mythology, kinship, otherness and mystery that wild owls offer.'
Woven in with her research about owls, and the adventures which she goes on, is the fact that her autistic teenage son, Benji, 'succumbs to a mysterious and disabling illness.' In the book's prologue, she reflects on her decision to continue with her project: 'If I had known my year of owls was to be so difficult I might have faltered. The illness stretched out into one, then two, then three years. Benji did not get better. Alongside the fears and challenges my owl research slowed and expanded.' However, she does recognise a real positive of still continuing her research, despite her son's predicament: '... far from distracting me from my family and my roots, my journeys deepened my sense of home and my ability to listen to what was near.'
Darlington opens Owl Sense by describing an encounter which she has with a young Great Grey Owl in Devon, whose handler has taken her to a public place to ensure that she gets used to people. When she touches the owl, Darlington writes: 'Her softness took my breath away. Deadly beauty. She turned her face towards me and I noticed its astounding circumference. There is a narrow area that falls between pleasing and preposterous, I thought, and this owl's circular face and bright yellow eyes fitted into it with perfect grace.'
I very much enjoyed the way in which Darlington sets out her memoir. Its structure is simple; eight different sections correspond to eight species of owl: Barn, Tawny, Little, Long-eared, Short-eared, Eurasian Eagle, Pygmy, and Snowy. These chapters are both separate and interconnected, and allow her to weave in her own journeys across the continent. Her fixation upon these species allows her to take part in some fascinating, and important, research: she works on a barn owl population survey in Devon; finds fledged Tawny owlets close to her friend's secluded house; travels on an ecological trip to Serbia, the best place in the world to see Long-eared owls; and spots the smallest owl in the world, the Pygmy, in southeastern France, with a highly enthusiastic guide.
As well as the efforts which are being made to help different owl species around Europe, Darlington also draws attention to the problems which they face in the wild, from the wide use of rodenticide which poisons the owls' food supply, and then the owls themselves, to the loss of habitat.
Owl Sense is as deeply personal as it is a wider treatise on why owls are so important, and the ways that we can protect them. I found Darlington's authorial voice to be warm, honest, and filled with moments of beauty. Her prose is so informative, but suffused with a light and engaging touch. She notices the tiniest things, and draws our attention to their importance accordingly; for instance, the power which she weaves into a description of the calls of barn owls near her home: '... a screech, then a reply, as if they were throwing lightning bolts to one another, as if each was catching the other's cry in its craw and lobbing it back.'
Reading about Darlington's devotion to such a magnificent creature was a real treat, and I am very much looking forward to picking up her earlier work about otters as soon as I possibly can. Owl Sense is a lovely, and thought-provoking book, which is sure to appeal to any lover of nature writing. I did find some of the comparisons which Darlington drew between the owls and her own family a little cheesy, but for me, this was the only downside, and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest.
The book's blurb sets out our fascination with the often elusive creatures, who have roamed the earth for over 60 million years: 'Owls have captivated the human imagination for millennia. We have fixated on this night hunter as predator, messenger, emblem of wisdom or portent of doom.' Here, Darlington 'sets out to tell a new story', by going on 'wild encounters' throughout the British Isles, actively looking for different native owl species. In her prologue, she further explores this enchantment which owls have had upon humans; they have 'been part of our landscape, psychological context and emotional ecology from the moment Homo sapiens became self-aware.' She then sets out the differing ways in which owls have been viewed in different cultures and historical periods, from the 'guardianship of the underworld' in Egyptian, Celtic, and Hindu cultures, to the wisdom and courage imbued upon the owl by the Ancient Greeks.
Darlington takes the decision to extend her project, seeking to 'identify every European species of this charismatic' bird, and travelling to Spain, France, Serbia, and Finland to see them in the wild. In order to undertake her research, Darlington set out to 'scour the twilit woods, fields and valleys of my home archipelago and then reach further afield, learning about the ecology and conservation of these night-roaming raptors, about their presence as well as their absence. What was their place in our ecosystem; how and why have we made them into stories, given them meanings, wrapped them with all the folklore and superstition that we could muster?'
Early on, Darlington explains her reasoning for this particular project, writing: 'So what can a writer do, faced with a world whose wildness appears to be unravelling?... This is the story of my journey to explore those ecological details, paying attention to the incremental shift owls have experienced, and still are experiencing, from wildness to a kind of enforced domesticity. I wanted to immerse myself in their world, from the wild owls to the captives that are kept in aviaries and sanctuaries and beyond, to look into the mythology, kinship, otherness and mystery that wild owls offer.'
Woven in with her research about owls, and the adventures which she goes on, is the fact that her autistic teenage son, Benji, 'succumbs to a mysterious and disabling illness.' In the book's prologue, she reflects on her decision to continue with her project: 'If I had known my year of owls was to be so difficult I might have faltered. The illness stretched out into one, then two, then three years. Benji did not get better. Alongside the fears and challenges my owl research slowed and expanded.' However, she does recognise a real positive of still continuing her research, despite her son's predicament: '... far from distracting me from my family and my roots, my journeys deepened my sense of home and my ability to listen to what was near.'
Darlington opens Owl Sense by describing an encounter which she has with a young Great Grey Owl in Devon, whose handler has taken her to a public place to ensure that she gets used to people. When she touches the owl, Darlington writes: 'Her softness took my breath away. Deadly beauty. She turned her face towards me and I noticed its astounding circumference. There is a narrow area that falls between pleasing and preposterous, I thought, and this owl's circular face and bright yellow eyes fitted into it with perfect grace.'
I very much enjoyed the way in which Darlington sets out her memoir. Its structure is simple; eight different sections correspond to eight species of owl: Barn, Tawny, Little, Long-eared, Short-eared, Eurasian Eagle, Pygmy, and Snowy. These chapters are both separate and interconnected, and allow her to weave in her own journeys across the continent. Her fixation upon these species allows her to take part in some fascinating, and important, research: she works on a barn owl population survey in Devon; finds fledged Tawny owlets close to her friend's secluded house; travels on an ecological trip to Serbia, the best place in the world to see Long-eared owls; and spots the smallest owl in the world, the Pygmy, in southeastern France, with a highly enthusiastic guide.
As well as the efforts which are being made to help different owl species around Europe, Darlington also draws attention to the problems which they face in the wild, from the wide use of rodenticide which poisons the owls' food supply, and then the owls themselves, to the loss of habitat.
Owl Sense is as deeply personal as it is a wider treatise on why owls are so important, and the ways that we can protect them. I found Darlington's authorial voice to be warm, honest, and filled with moments of beauty. Her prose is so informative, but suffused with a light and engaging touch. She notices the tiniest things, and draws our attention to their importance accordingly; for instance, the power which she weaves into a description of the calls of barn owls near her home: '... a screech, then a reply, as if they were throwing lightning bolts to one another, as if each was catching the other's cry in its craw and lobbing it back.'
Reading about Darlington's devotion to such a magnificent creature was a real treat, and I am very much looking forward to picking up her earlier work about otters as soon as I possibly can. Owl Sense is a lovely, and thought-provoking book, which is sure to appeal to any lover of nature writing. I did find some of the comparisons which Darlington drew between the owls and her own family a little cheesy, but for me, this was the only downside, and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest.
November 11, 2022
Meine Meinung
Abbildungen, Fotografien und Illustrationen der tierisch niedlichen Raubvögel begeistern uns Menschen schon seit Jahrtausenden und so ist es kein Wunder, dass sich heute jede Menge Eulen-Merch, von Tassen über Figuren und Stofftieren bis hin zu Puzzles finden lässt und auch Filme (wie z. B. ›Harry Potter‹, ›Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel‹, etc.) gerne mit der Mystik dieser zauberhaften Wesen spielen.
Miriam Darlington befasst sich in ihrem Werk »Die Magie der Eulen« mit den dreizehn europäischen Eulenarten und spürt ihnen in einem sehr persönlichen Reisebericht hinterher. Die englische Autorin hat es sich zum Ziel gesetzt, alle einheimischen Eulenarten in ihrem Territorium aufzuspüren, doch dies ist kein leichtes Unterfangen, da viele dieser Tiere bereits auf der Roten Liste stehen und nur schwer aufzuspüren sind.
Wie stark das Leben der Eulen von einem ökologischen Gleichgewicht abhängt und wie viel wir Menschen davon bereits zerstört haben, führt Darlington ebenfalls in ihrem Text auf und stimmt damit auch nachdenklich. Sind ihre magischen Begegnungen mit den kleinen und großen Raubvögeln doch etwas zutiefst bewegendes. So etwas sollte nicht zerstört werden dürfen, umso trauriger und wütender macht einen die unaufhaltsame Zerstörung unserer Natur.
Mut machen erwähnte Projekte, wie das von Mark Browning, welches die Schleiereule als Schädlingsbekämpferin in der Landwirtschaft erprobte und dabei herausfand, dass die Ansiedlung von Schleiereulen eine probate Alternative zum Einsatz von giftigen Strychnin-Pellets darstellt, denn die Tiere vertilgen immense Mengen an Nagetieren. Und wusstet ihr schon, dass eine Schleiereule eine ganze Feldmaus in einem Happs verschlingen kann? Dieses und noch mehr beeindruckendes Wissen über die unterschiedlichen Eulenarten vermittelt Miriam Darlington in leicht verständlicher Art und Weise.
»Die Magie der Eulen« fühlt sich nicht wie die Lektüre eines Sachbuches an, sondern vielmehr wie ein lebendiges Gespräch zwischen Freund*innen.
Besonders beeindruckend empfand ich den Bericht von Darlingtons Reise nach Serbien, wo sie ein wahres Eulenparadies entdeckte und auch das jährliche Eulenfest der Stadt Kikinda besuchte.
Mich konnte Miriam Darlington mit ihren Ausführungen und Beobachtungen auf jeden Fall verzaubern und ich empfehle das Buch gerne an alle begeisterte Eulen-Fans weiter, die gerne etwas mehr über Schleiereulen, Käuze, Uhu und Co. erfahren möchten, ohne dabei zu tief in trockene wissenschaftliche Ausführungen eintauchen zu müssen.
Fazit
Dieses zauberhafte Buch über die mythenbehafteten europäischen Eulen beinhaltet lehrreiches Wissen in lockerer Form anhand Erlebnisberichten aufbereitet.
--------------------------------
© Bellas Wonderworld; Rezension vom 11.03.2022
Abbildungen, Fotografien und Illustrationen der tierisch niedlichen Raubvögel begeistern uns Menschen schon seit Jahrtausenden und so ist es kein Wunder, dass sich heute jede Menge Eulen-Merch, von Tassen über Figuren und Stofftieren bis hin zu Puzzles finden lässt und auch Filme (wie z. B. ›Harry Potter‹, ›Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel‹, etc.) gerne mit der Mystik dieser zauberhaften Wesen spielen.
Miriam Darlington befasst sich in ihrem Werk »Die Magie der Eulen« mit den dreizehn europäischen Eulenarten und spürt ihnen in einem sehr persönlichen Reisebericht hinterher. Die englische Autorin hat es sich zum Ziel gesetzt, alle einheimischen Eulenarten in ihrem Territorium aufzuspüren, doch dies ist kein leichtes Unterfangen, da viele dieser Tiere bereits auf der Roten Liste stehen und nur schwer aufzuspüren sind.
Wie stark das Leben der Eulen von einem ökologischen Gleichgewicht abhängt und wie viel wir Menschen davon bereits zerstört haben, führt Darlington ebenfalls in ihrem Text auf und stimmt damit auch nachdenklich. Sind ihre magischen Begegnungen mit den kleinen und großen Raubvögeln doch etwas zutiefst bewegendes. So etwas sollte nicht zerstört werden dürfen, umso trauriger und wütender macht einen die unaufhaltsame Zerstörung unserer Natur.
Mut machen erwähnte Projekte, wie das von Mark Browning, welches die Schleiereule als Schädlingsbekämpferin in der Landwirtschaft erprobte und dabei herausfand, dass die Ansiedlung von Schleiereulen eine probate Alternative zum Einsatz von giftigen Strychnin-Pellets darstellt, denn die Tiere vertilgen immense Mengen an Nagetieren. Und wusstet ihr schon, dass eine Schleiereule eine ganze Feldmaus in einem Happs verschlingen kann? Dieses und noch mehr beeindruckendes Wissen über die unterschiedlichen Eulenarten vermittelt Miriam Darlington in leicht verständlicher Art und Weise.
»Die Magie der Eulen« fühlt sich nicht wie die Lektüre eines Sachbuches an, sondern vielmehr wie ein lebendiges Gespräch zwischen Freund*innen.
Besonders beeindruckend empfand ich den Bericht von Darlingtons Reise nach Serbien, wo sie ein wahres Eulenparadies entdeckte und auch das jährliche Eulenfest der Stadt Kikinda besuchte.
Mich konnte Miriam Darlington mit ihren Ausführungen und Beobachtungen auf jeden Fall verzaubern und ich empfehle das Buch gerne an alle begeisterte Eulen-Fans weiter, die gerne etwas mehr über Schleiereulen, Käuze, Uhu und Co. erfahren möchten, ohne dabei zu tief in trockene wissenschaftliche Ausführungen eintauchen zu müssen.
Fazit
Dieses zauberhafte Buch über die mythenbehafteten europäischen Eulen beinhaltet lehrreiches Wissen in lockerer Form anhand Erlebnisberichten aufbereitet.
--------------------------------
© Bellas Wonderworld; Rezension vom 11.03.2022
May 3, 2023
I kept stalling out on this because I felt I should be enjoying it more -- should be enthralled -- and I wasn't. The natural history and mythological lore of owls are awkwardly stitched together with the passages about the mysterious illness of Darlington's son. His illness came on during the period when Darlington had begun to study owls, but the fact that two things happen at the same time doesn't mean they belong in the same book.
Darlington also falls into platitude, and sometimes into toxic positivity, when she's trying to be insightful: "As I learned from one of my wise-beyond-her-years undergraduate students at the University of Plymouth, adversity leaves you both a stronger and a softer human, and it is underwritten with a strange kind of joy, even at its worst moments." Come on. My war-refugee parents would have had something to say about that.
At its best, The Wise Hours is as enthralling as I might have hoped -- had I known before reading it that Barn Owls can't fly in wet weather, because they don't have a convenient oily coating on their feathers to shed rain? I had not!
And this, of an owlet: "I expected it to smell like a kitten but its alien stink of rotting mouse, vole blood and acrid ammonia hurt my nose. There was something part-reptile there: I looked into its wincing face, felt its scaly feet, and at their tips, whetstone-grey talons, already gripping fiercely."
And this art-historical tidbit: "In [Bosch's] The Garden of Earthly Delights and many of the other paintings, owls appear embroidered in some item of clothing, hidden in a pocket, sitting in a basket, peering from a windowsill, in a tree, fountain or vase, everywhere and anywhere, ubiquitous watching eyes."
If only Darlington had stuck with the owls, I could easily have given The Wise Hours 5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tin House Books for the ARC.
Darlington also falls into platitude, and sometimes into toxic positivity, when she's trying to be insightful: "As I learned from one of my wise-beyond-her-years undergraduate students at the University of Plymouth, adversity leaves you both a stronger and a softer human, and it is underwritten with a strange kind of joy, even at its worst moments." Come on. My war-refugee parents would have had something to say about that.
At its best, The Wise Hours is as enthralling as I might have hoped -- had I known before reading it that Barn Owls can't fly in wet weather, because they don't have a convenient oily coating on their feathers to shed rain? I had not!
And this, of an owlet: "I expected it to smell like a kitten but its alien stink of rotting mouse, vole blood and acrid ammonia hurt my nose. There was something part-reptile there: I looked into its wincing face, felt its scaly feet, and at their tips, whetstone-grey talons, already gripping fiercely."
And this art-historical tidbit: "In [Bosch's] The Garden of Earthly Delights and many of the other paintings, owls appear embroidered in some item of clothing, hidden in a pocket, sitting in a basket, peering from a windowsill, in a tree, fountain or vase, everywhere and anywhere, ubiquitous watching eyes."
If only Darlington had stuck with the owls, I could easily have given The Wise Hours 5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tin House Books for the ARC.
February 18, 2018
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09r3yy6
Description: The Chauvet Caves of southern France have the oldest known depiction of an owl in the world. Fascinatingly, this closely observed bird is drawn from behind, but with its head swivelled backwards 180 degrees, to meet the gaze of people walking towards it. The drawing dates back 36,000 years and we have been captivated by owls at least that long. We have fixated on this night hunter as predator, messenger, emblem of wisdom, something pretty to print on a tote bag or portent of doom.
Author Miriam Darlington sets out to tell a new story about owls. In her watching and deep listening to the natural world, she cleaves myth from reality to change the way we think about this magnificent creature.
Miriam Darlington was born and brought up in Lewes, Sussex. In 2008 she published a collection of poetry, Windfall, and the same year completed a book for young children, Footprints in the Sand, an ecological tale about rivers. In 2009 she gained funding to complete a book on otters in conjunction with a PhD at Exeter University and the book Otter Country was published in 2012. The Guardian, in its hugely positive review of the book, stated that "Darlington has earned her place alongside [Gavin] Maxwell and [Henry] Williamson."
Description: The Chauvet Caves of southern France have the oldest known depiction of an owl in the world. Fascinatingly, this closely observed bird is drawn from behind, but with its head swivelled backwards 180 degrees, to meet the gaze of people walking towards it. The drawing dates back 36,000 years and we have been captivated by owls at least that long. We have fixated on this night hunter as predator, messenger, emblem of wisdom, something pretty to print on a tote bag or portent of doom.
Author Miriam Darlington sets out to tell a new story about owls. In her watching and deep listening to the natural world, she cleaves myth from reality to change the way we think about this magnificent creature.
Miriam Darlington was born and brought up in Lewes, Sussex. In 2008 she published a collection of poetry, Windfall, and the same year completed a book for young children, Footprints in the Sand, an ecological tale about rivers. In 2009 she gained funding to complete a book on otters in conjunction with a PhD at Exeter University and the book Otter Country was published in 2012. The Guardian, in its hugely positive review of the book, stated that "Darlington has earned her place alongside [Gavin] Maxwell and [Henry] Williamson."
April 16, 2018
This is a beautiful piece of nature writing, subtly emotional and deeply evocative of the human condition despite the feathered subject matter.
Miriam Darlington's expertise and depth of research is exceptionally impressive and lends a genuine authority to the book. She weaves the history and mythology of humankind's relationship with owls into a modern-day setting in which many of these birds are protected or endangered.
There was less reference to her son's illness, than I expected given the cover description. But instead this book had far more of a sense of Darlington's personality overall, what makes her tick, and how her thought processes form and develop.
There's a raw honesty in this book I found touching and moving, especially when she discusses the gigantic Eagle Owls and the unexpected vulnerability of this magnificent species.
Good nature writing can make you feel as much, if not more, as any gripping page-turner. This is, categorically, good nature writing. I actually bought two copies of this book as I left one copy in a restaurant and I was happy to pay cover price for a second time. I would have paid a lot more to read something this well-researched and beautifully written.
Miriam Darlington's expertise and depth of research is exceptionally impressive and lends a genuine authority to the book. She weaves the history and mythology of humankind's relationship with owls into a modern-day setting in which many of these birds are protected or endangered.
There was less reference to her son's illness, than I expected given the cover description. But instead this book had far more of a sense of Darlington's personality overall, what makes her tick, and how her thought processes form and develop.
There's a raw honesty in this book I found touching and moving, especially when she discusses the gigantic Eagle Owls and the unexpected vulnerability of this magnificent species.
Good nature writing can make you feel as much, if not more, as any gripping page-turner. This is, categorically, good nature writing. I actually bought two copies of this book as I left one copy in a restaurant and I was happy to pay cover price for a second time. I would have paid a lot more to read something this well-researched and beautifully written.
August 13, 2023
As a lover of owls, I gravitated towards this book and bought it almost on a whim. The owl knowledge and poetic language of the novel didn't disappoint. Darlington has a wonderful voice when it comes to describing the natural world around her, and her excitement encountering owls in the wild is infectious. However, I do think that Darlington set out to do something quite challenging in making this a personal memoir as well as a scientific one. Individually, both the ornithological explorations and the autobiographical bits surrounding her life at home were interesting, but I don't think they were connected well. This gave the feeling of smash-cutting from Darlington discussing her latest species of owl to discussing the illness of her child. It was often jarring, and I felt like I couldn't fully invest in several parts because of this.
Additionally, I enjoyed her observations surrounding conservation and the ways that humans have commodified certain species in a way that strips them of their wildness in our minds, but I think there were a few places where her musings were repetitive.
Additionally, I enjoyed her observations surrounding conservation and the ways that humans have commodified certain species in a way that strips them of their wildness in our minds, but I think there were a few places where her musings were repetitive.
September 11, 2023
DNF about 30% through. I was already not really enjoying how much of this was about her son, but found the descriptions of owls interesting. I especially liked how she criticized the "cute-ification" of owls. Unfortunately, it seems she doesn't take her own advice. I gave up when she started discussing her friend who was "training" a local wild, uninjured owl by feeding them and getting them to follow commands. She then decides she's going to go buy a bunch of chicks (WHO DESPITE MANY BIRDERS IGNORING, ARE ALSO BIRDS) and try to feed, lure, and train her own owl. Not sure why you're spending so much time talking about the importance of preserving birds and their wildness when you're gonna have a bunch harmed and killed for you to bait a wild owl for your own amusement.
March 25, 2018
An interesting and informative book about the various European owl species, their habitats and habits. I liked it but found the inclusion of a personal aspect about the author's son and his illness, irrelevant, and a little distracting.
May 28, 2018
Seemed a bit laboured after a while. I hate to stop when I'm sure I'm learning cool things, but I did not really buy into the linkage the author made between her son's illness and her revived interest in owls. Seemed too much like a framing device.
February 18, 2018
From BBC radio 4 - Book of the Week:
The Chauvet Caves of southern France have the oldest known depiction of an owl in the world. Fascinatingly, this closely observed bird is drawn from behind, but with its head swivelled backwards 180 degrees, to meet the gaze of people walking towards it. The drawing dates back 36,000 years and we have been captivated by owls at least that long. We have fixated on this night hunter as predator, messenger, emblem of wisdom, something pretty to print on a tote bag or portent of doom.
In Episode 2, our marriage to the fragile Barn Owl.
In Episode 3, the diminutive but feisty Little Owl.
In Episode 4, the ghost-like qualities of the Tawny Owl.
In Episode 5, a full house of Long-Eared Owls.
Author Miriam Darlington sets out to tell a new story about owls. In her watching and deep listening to the natural world, she cleaves myth from reality to change the way we think about this magnificent creature.
In Episode 1, we meet Murray the teaching owl.
Miriam Darlington was born and brought up in Lewes, Sussex. In 2008 she published a collection of poetry, Windfall, and the same year completed a book for young children, Footprints in the Sand, an ecological tale about rivers. In 2009 she gained funding to complete a book on otters in conjunction with a PhD at Exeter University and the book Otter Country was published in 2012. The Guardian, in its hugely positive review of the book, stated that "Darlington has earned her place alongside [Gavin] Maxwell and [Henry] Williamson."
Writer: Miriam Darlington
Abridger: Pete Nichols
Reader: Teresa Gallagher
Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09r3yy6
The Chauvet Caves of southern France have the oldest known depiction of an owl in the world. Fascinatingly, this closely observed bird is drawn from behind, but with its head swivelled backwards 180 degrees, to meet the gaze of people walking towards it. The drawing dates back 36,000 years and we have been captivated by owls at least that long. We have fixated on this night hunter as predator, messenger, emblem of wisdom, something pretty to print on a tote bag or portent of doom.
In Episode 2, our marriage to the fragile Barn Owl.
In Episode 3, the diminutive but feisty Little Owl.
In Episode 4, the ghost-like qualities of the Tawny Owl.
In Episode 5, a full house of Long-Eared Owls.
Author Miriam Darlington sets out to tell a new story about owls. In her watching and deep listening to the natural world, she cleaves myth from reality to change the way we think about this magnificent creature.
In Episode 1, we meet Murray the teaching owl.
Miriam Darlington was born and brought up in Lewes, Sussex. In 2008 she published a collection of poetry, Windfall, and the same year completed a book for young children, Footprints in the Sand, an ecological tale about rivers. In 2009 she gained funding to complete a book on otters in conjunction with a PhD at Exeter University and the book Otter Country was published in 2012. The Guardian, in its hugely positive review of the book, stated that "Darlington has earned her place alongside [Gavin] Maxwell and [Henry] Williamson."
Writer: Miriam Darlington
Abridger: Pete Nichols
Reader: Teresa Gallagher
Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09r3yy6
December 9, 2022
In this love letter to owls, Miriam Darlington combines scientific information, personal observations, and even poetry to describe these multifaceted birds. While originally intending to focus on birds in Britain, the author broadens her scope with voyages to other countries to get up close and personal with the birds she studies.
The book is organized into chapters that focus on a single type of owl. While the author's research is thorough and detailed, there are lighter moments when she lets readers in on her thoughts ("Just one glance at this owl dashes any thoughts of cuteness into the flames of Hades") and more somber ones when she shares information on her son's illness.
Recommended for birders and fans of books like "H is for Hawk" that blend nature studies with memoirs.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book.
The book is organized into chapters that focus on a single type of owl. While the author's research is thorough and detailed, there are lighter moments when she lets readers in on her thoughts ("Just one glance at this owl dashes any thoughts of cuteness into the flames of Hades") and more somber ones when she shares information on her son's illness.
Recommended for birders and fans of books like "H is for Hawk" that blend nature studies with memoirs.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book.
March 1, 2018
My only longing now, I think, is for a second part in which Miriam Darlington would describe her quest to find the remaining owl species: Snowy, Hawk, and Great Grey. But there are more to observe, more to fall in love with.
I have yet to read her Otter Country, but if Owl Sense is anything to go by - I'll probably love it.
I have yet to read her Otter Country, but if Owl Sense is anything to go by - I'll probably love it.
December 27, 2022
A lovely and warm book about owls, and their place in the human imagination, as well as the responsibility we bear to care for these non-human animals.
May 18, 2023
As a nature nerd, I found this book delightful. I purposely read it slowly, which is one of the best endorsements I can give.
Owls are covered comprehensively (relative to European species) in that the author doesn't just address behavior, location, conservation, and the other sciencey aspects, but also how owls are portrayed in history, art, culture, and folklore. The Florence Nightingale anecdote was one of my favorites!
The only criticism I would offer is the inclusion of her family life in the narrative. It didn't seem necessary, and kind of took me out of the flow and focus. Though I found her husband's objections to the collection, as well as the storage, of specimens incredibly amusing, I'm not really sure how it contributes to the subject matter. The author's inclusion of her son and daughter was also charming, but didn't seem to add much to the subject overall. It could have been left out and the book would have remained engaging.
I was excited to discover that the author's previous book was on otters, as they are one of my favorite animals. I've already added it to my reading list! If you're into nature and owls, definitely read this book!
Owls are covered comprehensively (relative to European species) in that the author doesn't just address behavior, location, conservation, and the other sciencey aspects, but also how owls are portrayed in history, art, culture, and folklore. The Florence Nightingale anecdote was one of my favorites!
The only criticism I would offer is the inclusion of her family life in the narrative. It didn't seem necessary, and kind of took me out of the flow and focus. Though I found her husband's objections to the collection, as well as the storage, of specimens incredibly amusing, I'm not really sure how it contributes to the subject matter. The author's inclusion of her son and daughter was also charming, but didn't seem to add much to the subject overall. It could have been left out and the book would have remained engaging.
I was excited to discover that the author's previous book was on otters, as they are one of my favorite animals. I've already added it to my reading list! If you're into nature and owls, definitely read this book!
January 20, 2023
In The Wise Hours author Miriam Darlington incorporates the mysterious, elusive, oft misunderstood lives of owls into a memoir of sorts detailing her own life experiences.
Miriam's son Benji began exhibiting alarming symptoms of an illness which remained a mystery for a considerable time. Owls are an intrinsic part of Miriam and Benji's world so exploring them further while realizing the preciousness of life drew them together and to owls. Starting in Britain the two sought these marvellous creatures and Miriam explored further afield in countries including Serbia and France. This book is a philosophical blending of the two linked worlds.
Miriam explains the roles, symbolism and myths surrounding owls since ancient times. They were seen as guardians to the underworld and as pets even now. She describes various owls including the Snowy Owl, Little Owl and Pygmy Owl as well as their habitats and nomenclature. The author discusses ecosystems, conservation and the role of humans.
My favourite aspects of the book were learning more about birds I observe and adore, especially the Snowy Owl, Barn Owl and Long-eared Owl. I learned more about "earsight", eyesight, "small-owl syndrome", nest requirements, roosting, the "Shortie's" flight patterns, the far-reaching hoot of the Eagle Owl and the various calls of the Long-eared Owl.
The story about expert Milan in Serbia was the most intriguing to me as I live part time near there and would love to go to the Kikinda Owl Festival. Reading the blurb the memoir aspect surprised me; my hope was encyclopedic detail and photos of these treasured birds. But I do understand and appreciate the author's reasoning behind her reflections and introspection.
My sincere thank you to Tin Hat and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this captivating book.
Miriam's son Benji began exhibiting alarming symptoms of an illness which remained a mystery for a considerable time. Owls are an intrinsic part of Miriam and Benji's world so exploring them further while realizing the preciousness of life drew them together and to owls. Starting in Britain the two sought these marvellous creatures and Miriam explored further afield in countries including Serbia and France. This book is a philosophical blending of the two linked worlds.
Miriam explains the roles, symbolism and myths surrounding owls since ancient times. They were seen as guardians to the underworld and as pets even now. She describes various owls including the Snowy Owl, Little Owl and Pygmy Owl as well as their habitats and nomenclature. The author discusses ecosystems, conservation and the role of humans.
My favourite aspects of the book were learning more about birds I observe and adore, especially the Snowy Owl, Barn Owl and Long-eared Owl. I learned more about "earsight", eyesight, "small-owl syndrome", nest requirements, roosting, the "Shortie's" flight patterns, the far-reaching hoot of the Eagle Owl and the various calls of the Long-eared Owl.
The story about expert Milan in Serbia was the most intriguing to me as I live part time near there and would love to go to the Kikinda Owl Festival. Reading the blurb the memoir aspect surprised me; my hope was encyclopedic detail and photos of these treasured birds. But I do understand and appreciate the author's reasoning behind her reflections and introspection.
My sincere thank you to Tin Hat and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this captivating book.
August 5, 2019
Initially the idea was to see all of Britain’s resident owls, but as often happens, the project expanded until Darlington was also taking trips to Serbia to find a Long-Eared Owl, Finland for a Eurasian Eagle Owl, and France for a Pygmy Owl; and going on a fruitless twitch to see a vagrant Snowy Owl in Cornwall. Each chapter considers a different species and includes information on its anatomy, geographical distribution, conservation status, and any associated myths and anecdotes (The Secret Life of the Owl by John Lewis-Stempel does much the same thing, but with less richness). She has closer encounters with some than with others: when volunteering with the Barn Owl Trust, she gets to ring chicks and collects pellets for dissection. But even the most fleeting sightings can be magical.
The book also subtly weaves in what was happening in Darlington’s life at the time, especially her son Benji’s struggles. On the autistic spectrum, he suddenly started having physical problems that were eventually explained by non-epileptic seizures. I would have welcomed more personal material, but that just speaks to my love of memoir. This feels slightly hurried and not quite as editorially polished as her master work, Otter Country, but it’s still well worth reading if you have any interest in birds or nature conservation. (I’ve only seen two owls in the wild: Barn and Tawny.)
The book also subtly weaves in what was happening in Darlington’s life at the time, especially her son Benji’s struggles. On the autistic spectrum, he suddenly started having physical problems that were eventually explained by non-epileptic seizures. I would have welcomed more personal material, but that just speaks to my love of memoir. This feels slightly hurried and not quite as editorially polished as her master work, Otter Country, but it’s still well worth reading if you have any interest in birds or nature conservation. (I’ve only seen two owls in the wild: Barn and Tawny.)
December 9, 2022
The gorgeous picture on the cover makes it look like this is a book about owls. In a sense, it is, but it’s mostly a memoir. The author discusses her fascination with owls, her travels around the world looking for them, the people she met and her thoughts and feelings. A big part is devoted to her family life, as well as the challenges caused by her son’s illness. Readers who enjoy these type of books will find it poignant but I was expecting more about owls. There is information about them, their breeds and biology, but it’s mostly what the author learned herself, no more, no less. I’m a big fan of Sy Montgomery’s books, which are part memoir but have so much information about animal behavior. The Wise Hours is not like that, so I am not the kind of reader for it. I was looking for more information about owls and less philosophical content. At the risk of sounding heartless, I wasn’t interested in the details of the author’s life or even her son’s illness. Many readers will appreciate it, unfortunately it was not for me.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Tin House!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Tin House!
March 4, 2018
The was presented by the BBC in 5, 15-minute segments. I love the way this woman writes about owls. Her descriptive passages somehow convey all the adoration and "squee" that we inevitably feel when we see owls, and yet she's still respectful of their majesty. This presentation must have edited out the explanation that she was actively pursuing research on owls; it gave the impression that she just happened across them frequently, leaving me wondering how that happened. I've seen one in daylight only a few times (same owl, multiple sightings), but otherwise only hear the screech, or occasionally see a dim silhouette coasting across the night sky.
August 8, 2024
4,5*
Der Leser sollte im Hinterkopf haben, dass es sich um Nature Writing, wie z.B. "Walden" von H.D. Thoreau oder "Die Seele der Raben" von Bernd Heinrich handelt, und nicht um ein typisches ornithologisches Sachbuch. Ein wenig Vorwissen über Eulenvögel ist aber nicht von Nachteil.
Mir hat besonders gefallen, dass Miriam Darlington die Eulen nie vermenschlicht, im Gegenteil, die Autorin mag das ebensowenig wie ich ;)
Es fließen auch Dinge aus dem Privatleben der Autorin ein, aber das nimmt nie Überhand, die Eulen stehen immer im Vordergrund.
Der Leser sollte im Hinterkopf haben, dass es sich um Nature Writing, wie z.B. "Walden" von H.D. Thoreau oder "Die Seele der Raben" von Bernd Heinrich handelt, und nicht um ein typisches ornithologisches Sachbuch. Ein wenig Vorwissen über Eulenvögel ist aber nicht von Nachteil.
Mir hat besonders gefallen, dass Miriam Darlington die Eulen nie vermenschlicht, im Gegenteil, die Autorin mag das ebensowenig wie ich ;)
Es fließen auch Dinge aus dem Privatleben der Autorin ein, aber das nimmt nie Überhand, die Eulen stehen immer im Vordergrund.
April 27, 2023
I would have liked this a lot more if the author had concentrated on the owls, and not on her son's illness.
October 27, 2023
“FOR MORE THAN 60 million years owls have roamed the night sky—Homo sapiens have only been here for a fraction of that time, less than two hundred thousand years.”
“My period volunteering with the Barn Owl Trust was nearly over. It was a kind of time out of time, when you get your heart swelled again and again, as you engage in your favourite pastime with some of the most devoted, knowledgeable, generous, and good-humoured people ever. If I could distil the joy of learning it would be that moment, counting owlets and being taken by surprise, again and again, by how inspiring, satisfying, and real this work could be.”
I learned so much about owls in this book, and there was some interesting personal perspectives sprinkled through, which is a way of engaging readers, but I found it to be too Eurocentric and limited in its scope. The sections on raising and training owls were jarring, it had never occurred to me that people would imprison such a majestic creature. Overall interesting, though.
“In his essay “The Ecology of Magic,” American philosopher David Abram suggests that to ancestral humankind, wild creatures were purveyors of secrets, carriers of intelligence that we often needed: “It is these Others who can inform us of unseasonable changes in the weather, or warn us of imminent eruptions and earthquakes; who show us, when foraging, where we may find the ripest berries or the best route to follow back home.” Perhaps paying close attention to them could bring us to tune into a different way of seeing our own world; what Abram describes as the “ability that an alien form of sentience has to echo one’s own, to instill a reverberation in oneself that temporarily shatters habitual ways of seeing and feeling, and leaves one open to a world all alive, awake and aware.”
“My period volunteering with the Barn Owl Trust was nearly over. It was a kind of time out of time, when you get your heart swelled again and again, as you engage in your favourite pastime with some of the most devoted, knowledgeable, generous, and good-humoured people ever. If I could distil the joy of learning it would be that moment, counting owlets and being taken by surprise, again and again, by how inspiring, satisfying, and real this work could be.”
I learned so much about owls in this book, and there was some interesting personal perspectives sprinkled through, which is a way of engaging readers, but I found it to be too Eurocentric and limited in its scope. The sections on raising and training owls were jarring, it had never occurred to me that people would imprison such a majestic creature. Overall interesting, though.
“In his essay “The Ecology of Magic,” American philosopher David Abram suggests that to ancestral humankind, wild creatures were purveyors of secrets, carriers of intelligence that we often needed: “It is these Others who can inform us of unseasonable changes in the weather, or warn us of imminent eruptions and earthquakes; who show us, when foraging, where we may find the ripest berries or the best route to follow back home.” Perhaps paying close attention to them could bring us to tune into a different way of seeing our own world; what Abram describes as the “ability that an alien form of sentience has to echo one’s own, to instill a reverberation in oneself that temporarily shatters habitual ways of seeing and feeling, and leaves one open to a world all alive, awake and aware.”
April 27, 2025
Delving into a fascination I’ve had with Owls.🦉
Splendidly told, providing research, history and first hand accounts. Miriam’s quest to learn more about these birds gave her an appreciation for the ‘present moments’ at a time when her son was dealing with a mysterious illness.
Each chapter explores an owl, and a linear story of her journey birding around Europe. Starting with my personal favorite, The Barn Owl.
Loved everyone we meet in this book, really encapsulated togetherness and kindness. In my mind I read this with a British accent, making it nice and cozy a la GBBO!
Splendidly told, providing research, history and first hand accounts. Miriam’s quest to learn more about these birds gave her an appreciation for the ‘present moments’ at a time when her son was dealing with a mysterious illness.
Each chapter explores an owl, and a linear story of her journey birding around Europe. Starting with my personal favorite, The Barn Owl.
Loved everyone we meet in this book, really encapsulated togetherness and kindness. In my mind I read this with a British accent, making it nice and cozy a la GBBO!
Read
September 26, 2025British naturalist decided to track down all the owls native to Britain. She extends this mission by taking trips to Spain, Finland, Serbia and France as she goes a bit owl crazy. Very charmingly written book with some excellent owl spotting. She has a poet's heart but some steel of the scientist too. She's still two owls short of her goal at book's end. Perhaps she'll find time to get out and see them.
April 21, 2025
One woman's journey through the owls of Britain and Europe. Occasionally there are asides about her son's mysterious illness, but in the end he seems to be okay with no explanation, so I'm not sure why they were there. There is also some strange political stuff near the end, moaning about Brexit. She really thinks it is going to cut her off from her French friends. Again, not sure why this is there. The owl material is okay, but not as good or interestingly-written as What an Owl Knows, which I read last year.
April 19, 2024
This was not as expected. I was expecting a book about owls. What I got was a book mostly about her family and a little about owls. What a disappointment. Who wants to hear about her or her family? The title, once again, is misleading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2023
Owls and seizures; a thing I love, a thing I have.
February 11, 2024
If you are a bird person who is interested in owls, or just curious about owls in general pertaining to conservation, history, culture, habitat, behavior, folklore, and biology, you'll find this book fascinating. It took me a while to get through it but it is a VERY detailed and informative read when it comes to the subject matter. Always so much to learn.
August 8, 2020
This is Book 14 of my 20 Books of Summer 2020.
Another book with a stunning cover and I found this to be a truly fascinating read. The author writes passionately about the subject of owls, whilst also sharing stories of her own family struggles with a child with a mystery illness.
It's fair to say this family are obsessed with owls, and this book allows them to share their experiences as they look further into different species, travelling across the country and further afield, learning more about owls from their hunting habits, where they live and also meeting a number of equally owl obsessed and knowledgeable people who are only too happy to share all they know about these amazing creatures.
Each chapter centres around a different owl species so that really does let you get to know so much more and focus solely on each owl allowing you to soak up more information and see the struggles that each species are facing in the modern world, as well as looking at their role in mythology, literature and history.
I learnt so much from this book and was also touched by how the illness to her son drove the family to despair at times as they just wanted to make him better and would go to any lengths to find ways to help him out. I also loved the striking pen illustrations to introduce each species.
Another book with a stunning cover and I found this to be a truly fascinating read. The author writes passionately about the subject of owls, whilst also sharing stories of her own family struggles with a child with a mystery illness.
It's fair to say this family are obsessed with owls, and this book allows them to share their experiences as they look further into different species, travelling across the country and further afield, learning more about owls from their hunting habits, where they live and also meeting a number of equally owl obsessed and knowledgeable people who are only too happy to share all they know about these amazing creatures.
Each chapter centres around a different owl species so that really does let you get to know so much more and focus solely on each owl allowing you to soak up more information and see the struggles that each species are facing in the modern world, as well as looking at their role in mythology, literature and history.
I learnt so much from this book and was also touched by how the illness to her son drove the family to despair at times as they just wanted to make him better and would go to any lengths to find ways to help him out. I also loved the striking pen illustrations to introduce each species.
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