[bksvol-discuss] Re: Messages from an Owl
- From: "Julie & Miss Mercy" <mercy421@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:03:26 -0400
I saw that when it got into the collection and based on the description, I
didn't know if I'd like it or not. I put it on my list of things to download
anyway, though, and it sounds like now I might like it more than I
originally thought. Thanks. Take care.
Julie Morales
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Judy s." <cherryjam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 1:21 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Messages from an Owl
I don't like most 'nature research' books because they're usually
so poorly written, but I just validated Shelley's scan of
"Messages from an Owl" and really enjoyed it. I'm fascinated by
owls and other birds of prey, and this was full of interesting
information about great horned owls. The author is a
surprisingly good writer - it wasn't dry and boring.
I'll paste below the blurb from the book jacket.
Judy s.
MESSAGES FROM AN OWL
MAX R. TERMAN
When zoologist Max Terman came to the rescue of a great horned
owlet in the park of a small Kansas town, he embarked on an
adventure that would test his scientific ingenuity and lead to
unprecedented observations of an owl's hidden life in the wild.
In Messages from an Owl, Terman not only relates his experiences
nursing the starving owlet, "Stripey," back to health and
teaching it survival skills in his barn, but he also describes
the anxiety and elation of letting a companion loose into an
uncertain world. Once Terman felt that Stripey knew how to dive
after prey, he set the owl free. At this point his story could
have ended, with no clue as to what the young bird's fate would
be-had it not been for Terman's experimentation with radio tags.
By strapping the tags to Stripey, the author actually managed to
follow the owl into the wild and observe for himself the behavior
of a hand-reared individual reunited with its natural
environment. Through this unique use of telemetry, Terman tracked
Stripey for over six years after the bird left the scientist's
barn and took up residence in the surrounding countryside on the
Kansas prairie. The radio beacon provided him with information on
the owl's regular patterns of playing, hunting, exploring, and
protecting. It enabled him to witness the moments when Stripey
was bantered and mobbed by crows, when other owls launched fierce
attacks, and when a prospective mate caught Stripey's eye.
Stripey checked in occasionally with Terman back at the barn,
following him around as he performed chores, usually waiting for
a handout.
Until now, scientists have generally believed that an owl
nurtured by humans becomes ill-adapted for meeting the challenges
of life in the wild. Terman's research proves otherwise. Stripey
surpassed all expectations by becoming a totally independent wild
creature. With Terman, however, Stripey remained tame, allowing
the author to explore something one rarely sees in owls: a warm
interest in humanity. Terman engagingly recreates this dimension
of Stripey as he describes with humor and compassion the daily
challenges of probing the life of a "phantom winged tiger."
Max R. Terman is Professor of Biology at Tabor College. He is the
author of Earth Sheltered Housing: Principles in Practice, which
recounts his experiences building a solar, earth-covered house on
fifteen acres of Kansas prairie.
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