Stacey O'Brien
Hardcover | Pages: 230 pages Rating: 4.1 | 9164 Users | 1572 Reviews
Describe Books During Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
| Original Title: | Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl |
| ISBN: | 1416551735 (ISBN13: 9781416551737) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Relation In Pursuance Of Books Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
When biologist Stacey O'Brien first met a four-day-old baby barn owl with nerve damage in one wing, she knew he had no hope of surviving on his own in the wild, so gave him a permanent home living with her. This is the funny, poignant story of their two decades together.On Valentine's Day 1985, biologist Stacey O'Brien first met a four-day-old baby barn owl -- a fateful encounter that would turn into an astonishing 19-year saga. With nerve damage in one wing, the owlet's ability to fly was forever compromised, and he had no hope of surviving on his own in the wild. O'Brien, a young assistant in the owl laboratory at Caltech, was immediately smitten, promising to care for the helpless owlet and give him a permanent home. Wesley the Owl is the funny, poignant story of their dramatic two decades together.
With both a tender heart and a scientist's eye, O'Brien studied Wesley's strange habits intensively and first-hand -- and provided a mice-only diet that required her to buy the rodents in bulk (28,000 over the owl's lifetime). As Wesley grew, she snapped photos of him at every stage like any proud parent, recording his life from a helpless ball of fuzz to a playful, clumsy adolescent to a gorgeous, gold-and-white, macho adult owl with a heart-shaped face and an outsize personality that belied his 18-inch stature. Stacey and Wesley's bond deepened as she discovered Wesley's individual personality, subtle emotions, and playful nature that could also turn fiercely loyal and protective -- though she could have done without Wesley's driving away her would-be human suitors!
O'Brien also brings us inside the prestigious research community, a kind of scientific Hogwarts where resident owls sometimes flew freely from office to office and eccentric, brilliant scientists were extraordinarily committed to studying and helping animals; all of them were changed by the animal they loved. As O'Brien gets close to Wesley, she makes important discoveries about owl behavior, intelligence, and communication, coining the term "The Way of the Owl" to describe his inclinations: he did not tolerate lies, held her to her promises, and provided unconditional love, though he was not beyond an occasional sulk. When O'Brien develops her own life-threatening illness, the biologist who saved the life of a helpless baby bird is herself rescued from death by the insistent love and courage of this wild animal.
Enhanced by wonderful photos, Wesley the Owl is a thoroughly engaging, heartwarming, often funny story of a complex, emotional, non-human being capable of reason, play, and, most important, love and loyalty. It is sure to be cherished by animal lovers everywhere.
Identify Out Of Books Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
| Title | : | Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl |
| Author | : | Stacey O'Brien |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 230 pages |
| Published | : | August 19th 2008 by Free Press |
| Categories | : | Nonfiction. Animals. Autobiography. Memoir. Environment. Nature. Science. Biography. Birds |
Rating Out Of Books Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
Ratings: 4.1 From 9164 Users | 1572 ReviewsWrite Up Out Of Books Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
I started this book one night intending to read just the first chapter before bed. I had to force myself to put it down at chapter six lest I miss out on a good night's sleep!I've never been a bird person, but O'Brien's heartwarming account of her life with Wesley the Owl may make me a convert...for owls at least. O'Brien mixes scientific fact with personal anecdote in a way that is clear and compelling. By the end, you feel like you've learned something about owls, but most of all, you'll haveA big thank you to one of my reading buddies, Lisa V, and others on Comfort Reads for suggesting I read this book. It was so wonderful that I need a few days before I can start another book.Wesley is a 4 day old baby barn owl suffering nerve damage to one of his wings, hence he is unable to survive in his natural surroundings in the wild. Fortunately for Wesley he 'lands' at Caltech after being found on the ground by hikers. From Caltech, he is taken home by one of the biologists, Stacey
I picked this book up because of the adorable picture on the cover. The title didn't give me much hope that it would be good, but I was pleasently supprised. The star of the book is Wesley, a smart barn owl who's antics were a joy to read. From the first moment the author sees the helpless baby she fell in love , and in reading along, so did I. I found myself continually stoping to share both odd scientific facts I was learning, as well as beautiful pictures of Wesley scattered throughout the
I don't know if this should have 4 or 5 stars. Amazing literature - no. Amazing subject matter - yes. I do believe the author's message is correct. Anybody who believes that animals and people really can communicate with each other, can experience a very strong loving relationship with each other, should read this book. Communication and understanding does not have to occur through "talk". If you live with an animal for many years you come to understand just by looking at each other what the
It's easy to think of animals as simple creatures with various survival instincts built into their systems, certainly not capable of much more than eating, mating and surviving in their various habitats. But raise a baby owl and live full time with it and become its virtual mate, and it becomes apparent that there's way more going on in their brains and lives than imaginable. In fact, this owl Wesley communicates with the wonderful Stacey in almost every imaginable way including love, warmth,
This is the story of a girl and her owl. How could I resist? Stacy O'Brien was working in the Caltech biolabs when she was offered the chance to rear and report on a baby barn owl who had nerve damage in one wing and was not likely to survive in the wild. She hadn't done owls before, but she was more than willing to try, and took in the three-day-old owlet she named Wesley. She was in her early twenties.The book is not only a series of funny anecdotes about life with an intelligent and
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