THE WISE HOURS

An invigorating dive into the world of owls.

In a smooth mixture of memoir and nature writing, Darlington, author of Otter Country, does for owls what Rebecca Giggs did for whales in Fathoms. Interwoven into the discussion of Darlington’s fieldwork is the story of her son’s mysterious illness. Fortunately, as with the author, his encounters with owls seem to bring him immense joy, to be “infected with owlishness.” Darlington’s original goal was to observe all of the wild species that reside in the British Isles. She begins by discussing barn owls, sharing details of the rewarding time she spent volunteering with the Barn Owl Trust and their surveys. She describes her encounters with the rarely seen tawny owl, which has an “unsettling cry,” a little owl that glared at her with “ferocious lemon-yellow eyes,” and a short-eared owl that nearly landed on her head. Darlington’s research took her to Serbia, Finland, Spain, and France, and the author is consistently enthusiastic about her experiences in each locale, whether reveling in the “melancholy call” of the Eurasian eagle owl or picking out the “highly vocal” call of the pygmy owl, a “tiny owl…the size of a pine cone.” Darlington also warns that the owl population in Britain is in decline due to human activity, particularly the use of chemicals to treat rodent infestations and encroachment into their natural habitats. Throughout, the author’s lyrical prose is captivating: “The high moorland was woven with August colour, splashed with purple heather and coconut-scented gorse….There was a stroking southerly breeze that seemed to whisper through the grasses warning of the end of the summer.” Ultimately, writes Darlington, “all an owl wants is to be left in peace, to make its living, to bring up its young safely and without disturbance, to continue the bloodline. Not so different from us, really.”

Heartfelt, enchanting, and beautifully written.