The Wise Hours

A People Pick of the Week

“Unfailingly precise and lovingly poetic. . . . Nature writing of the first order.” ―The Wall Street Journal

“A beautiful book; wise and sharp-eared as its subject.” ―Robert Macfarlane

One minute I was sipping my tea by the window. There was nothing but the palest edge of grey light and a wisp of steam from my cup―and then a shadow swooped out of the air. With the lightest of scratches, as if the dawn light was solidifying into life, there it was, perched like an exclamation mark on the balcony: an owl, come to my home.

Owls have existed for over sixty million years, and in the relatively short time we have shared the planet with these majestic birds they have ignited the human imagination. But even as owls continue to captivate our collective consciousness, celebrated British nature writer Miriam Darlington finds herself struck by all she doesn’t know about the true nature of these enigmatic creatures.

Darlington begins her fieldwork in the British Isles with her teenage son, Benji. As her avian fascination grows, she travels to France, Serbia, Spain, Finland, and the frosted Lapland borders of the Arctic for rare encounters with the Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Long-eared Owl, Pygmy Owl, Snowy Owl, and more. But when her son develops a mysterious illness, her quest to understand the elusive nature of owls becomes entangled with her search for finding a cure.

In The Wise Hours, Darlington watches and listens to the natural world and to the rhythms of her home and family, inviting readers to discover the wonders of owls alongside her while rewilding our imagination with the mystery, fragility, and magnificence of all creatures.Contents:
Beginnings
Tyto alba, Barn Owl
Strix aluco, Tawny Owl
Athene noctua, Little Owl
Asio otus, Long-eared Owl
Asio flammeus, Short-eared Owl
Bubo bubo, Eurasian Eagle Owl
Glaucidium passerinum, Pygmy Owl
Bubo scandiacus, Snowy Owl
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Readings
Permissions
Associations and Websites
"While tracing the history and science of owls, the author must confront another haunting enigma: her son's mysterious illness."—People Magazine, Book of the Week

"[A] project to preserve owl awe."—The Atlantic

"Unfailingly precise and lovingly poetic. . . . Nature writing of the first order."—The Wall Street Journal

"Flights of poetic prose raise a shiver. . . . proves we don’t need life lessons to appreciate the world’s marvels."—The Washington Post

"A smooth mixture of memoir and nature writing. . . . Lyrical and captivating. . . . heartfelt, enchanting, and beautifully written."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"Lyrical. . . . moving. . . . Dazzling."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Beautiful. . . . wonderfully informative and enjoyable."—Booklist

"Achingly beautiful."—The Guardian

"Open this book, and be thrilled to look at the owl with an even more profound sense of knowledge."—The Muskogee Phoenix

"Heartfelt. . . . Darlington’s work is as unique and enchanting as its subjects."—She Reads

"Lovely. . . . An excellent read. . . . Whether dissecting owl pellets, collecting strange samples or braving the elements (or her own foibles), Darlington brings a sense of wonder to her writing."—Spectrum Culture

"Captivating."—The Times

"Vivid and engaging."—Sunday Times

"Perceptive and affecting."—BIRDS

"A beautiful book; wise and sharp-eared as its subject."—Robert Macfarlane

"Enchanting."—Tristan Gooley, author of How to Read Nature

"A lyrical examination of the interweaving place owls hold in nature and human culture; Darlington writes with intimacy and beauty."—Jonathan C. Slaght, author of Owls of the Eastern Ice

"Beautiful descriptions of these magnificent creatures and their habitats."—P.D. Smith, author of City

"Darlington brings humor, humility, and a refreshing subjectivity to her quest to understand these charismatic creatures."—Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the Barley

"A delight. Darlington’s vision, sensitivity and word craft are vital."—Caspar Henderson, author of A New Map of WondersMiriam Darlington is the author of The Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild and Secret World of Owls and contributes frequently to The Times, The Guardian, and The Ecologist. She lives in Devon, England.My son Benji saw the owl first. She was perched like a silky totem pole, talons grasping the gloved hand of her keeper. At first, too busy with getting a place in the queue for artisan bread, I walked straight past the owl man as he stood quietly holding his charge. How was it that they were barely visible? They blurred into the humdrum busyness of the townscape, as if there was something self-effacing—a kind of greyness, an owl-camouflage that both possessed. I learned then that the mind does not easily register things that we are not expecting to see.

The owl relies on the cryptic facets of its colours, markings, and posture to shield it from the gaze of others. But something about the plumage flared on the edge of my vision and perhaps my deep-seated fascination with owls made me turn, and when I saw her I lost all interest in buying fresh bread.

Benji was already right there. Together we stared. The Great Grey Owl, Strix nebulosa. Grail of the boreal forest. Keenly aware, she gripped that leather glove tight as her head swivelled from side to side and her eyes settled on each and every distraction. I drifted closer, not wanting to startle her, but longing to be within reach of those smoky, brindled feathers. Could I touch?—Yes, it was important to get her used to people, he said. She was only a few months old.

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. The massive facial disc, the owl man, Pete, explained to me, produces a funnel for sound that is the most effective in the animal kingdom; she had the most sensitive ears known to humankind. The owl didn’t miss a word.

Pete told us that he had known about the batch of three large, cream-coloured eggs (which had been laid in this country by a captive owl) and once they hatched he had chosen this owlet at two weeks old and raised her. She had needed constant supervision and care, and was now, as with all young birds on seeing their first carer, “imprinted” upon him. They were inseparable. I watched as he repeatedly leant his cheek on her feathers, closed his eyes, and spoke to her with such tenderness that I felt as though I was intruding on a private conversation.