A field scientist and conservationist tracks the elusive Blakiston’s Fish Owl in the forbidding reaches of eastern RussiaThe Blakiston’s Fish Owl, the largest species of owl on earth, found only in the far northern regions of Russia, Japan, and Korea, is also perhaps the most mysterious. Only a handful of scientists have attempted to study them, but a chance sighting changed the course of … course of Jonathan Slaght’s life–sending him on a five-year journey to study these enigmatic creatures.
In Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World’s Largest Owl, American researcher and conservationist Slaght takes us to the Primoriye region of Eastern Russia, where we join a small team for late-night monitoring missions, on mad dashes across thawing rivers, drink vodka with mystics, hermits, and scientists, and listen to fireside tales of Amur tigers. Most captivating of all are the fish owls themselves: vicious hunters, devoted parents, singers of eerie duets, and irrepressible survivors in a harsh and shrinking habitat.
A rare glimpse into the everyday life of a scientist and the subjects of his deep fascination, Owls of the Eastern Ice is a testament to the determination, creativity, and resolve required by field research and a powerful reminder of the beauty, strength, and vulnerability of the natural world.
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I’ve always fantasized about being a naturalist or an anthropologist, so I’m drawn to travel memoirs by scientists. This is one of the most mesmerizing books I’ve read in years. Scientist Jonathan Slaght is entranced by Blakiston’s fish owl, the largest owl in the world—he describes it as a small bear with feathers–and so he travels to some of the most remote areas of eastern Russia to band and track the owls so he can better understand their endangered habitat and how to preserve it. His descriptions of traveling through ice, snow, insects, rain, and bunking in with various eccentrics are comical and priceless, while at the same time he gives us a good understanding of just how grueling it is to do fieldwork. At times, his writing rises to sublime heights, particularly when he describes the creatures inhabiting the forest, as in this passage about an owl that appears on camera: “…its arrival was awkward, almost like a stage-shy actor thrust into the spotlight by an unseen hand. The fish owl sat still for a moment, assessing the scene and compositing itself, then pushed through the billowy snow to the flat ice edge and the prey enclosure…After another period of quiet deliberation, he stared intently at the fish with a craned neck and the posture of a tiger preparing to pounce. He then leaped, feet-first, with wings extended above his head as an osprey might dive, jumping a mere pace away into water deep enough to cover only his feet. The delivery was comical, like watching the pre-jump routine of a high diver who then steps into a kiddie pool.” For those of you looking for an escape from the pandemic and politics, as well as a riveting description of an area of the world few of us get to see, this is your book.
Like many people, I’ve always been fascinated by the most extreme climates of Eastern Russia, Mongolia. This book is so delightfully written! Nothing silly about it, either. And yet it’s highly entertaining because of the writer’s knowledge, his inspiring drive to learn more about these beautiful and huge owls. I loved it!!!
The author studies the largest species of owl in Eastern Siberia. He travels there at least 3 if not four winters and one learns about the trials and tribulations how to first of all spot some of these elusive and endangered owls and then how to capture them to be able to put transmitters on them. Weather conditions may be awful as well as road conditions. Apparently he studied Russian and he has helpers, some with their own quirks. For me this was an interesting book. One needs to love nature.
For a non fiction it was great!
A fascinating saga into the Russian forest searching for fish owls. Good reading.
If you liked Island of the Blue Foxes then this book is just a continuation of life in eastern Russia.
It could have been improved if there were pictures of the owls, the author, Sergi and the other Russians who were in the kindle edition of the book.
I really enjoyed this book. If you love birds and nature and also reading about other cultures, I would recommend reading you read this book.