The Owl Who Liked Sitting on Caesar: Living with a Tawny Owl

We have an affinity for owls at our house. Western Screech Owls have overlooked our backyard from a cavity in our neighbor’s sycamore tree for more than a decade. If I rise early enough I can enjoy watching them fly home after a night of hunting. In the Spring we can observe the little owlets (usually 2 of them) being chaperoned by both parents when they visit our birdbaths at dawn. We get a minor thrill when we hear their tremulous calls. We love sharing our outdoor space with owls, so when a friend told us about The Owl Who Liked Sitting On Caesar, I knew I needed to read it.The Owl Who Liked Sitting On Caesar chronicles the relationship between a human, military historian Martin Windrow, and a female Tawny Owl named Mumble. Their story is lovingly told but never cloying. The writing is excellent and often witty. Windrow observed his owl-friend closely over the nearly 15 years they shared and provides vivid descriptions of her habits, quirks and physical appearance. Additionally there are photos and illustrations, scientific and folklore references. The consistent thread through it all is the obvious affection Windrow has for his unlikely housemate. He clearly loved her and mourned her loss with similar depth.It was impossible for me to not become invested emotionally with Mumble and her human. The reader knows, going in, that the man outlived the owl by decades, and waits that long to write about her, but the details of her demise are still heart-rending. Anyone who has ever mourned a beloved pet will relate to this. The author’s grief is indisputable, but expressed with the wisdom and clarity the passage of time affords.I’ll leave it to the more righteous among us to debate the morality of keeping a pet bird. (I had a pet canary for 10 years, so I’m in no position to judge.)It is not a matter of opinion though that Mumble the Owl lived a long, good, and sheltered life, cared for lovingly by her human companion. Recommended.

This is a book that grows on you. It's very English, and so has some Britishisms in words and other things that may puzzle some American readers, and if you don't like the British style of--what to call it, perhaps "understatement"--this may not be the book for you.There are already oodles of reviews, so I won't recap all that in this one, just say why I like it. Windrow was 29 or so when he got the bird in 1978, and lived with the owl for 15 years. He was and still is a military historian. He wrote the book more than 20 years after Mumble (the owl's name, long before the Walt Disney movie character of that name) died, partly at the urging of friends. The book is partly a meditation on and a description of a younger self and dealing with an unusual and high-maintenance pet. Note: Americans cannot legally have such a pet, and Tawny Owls are not an American species, anyway.Windrow provides a lot of information about owls in general and the Tawny in particular, partly in describing what he learned about owls over time with Mumble. Housing, feeding and caring for Mumble took considerable care, and his London flat, and later his house in the country, had to be sort of reconfigured for her (Mumble's) presence, though in the country she had an outside aviary Windrow built. In a way this is a wonderful story of the English eccentric, and some of the happenings are hilarious, though most just pleasant. Man and owl developed great affection for each other. One has the sense that this unusual pet helped the man get through some tough times. The Caesar in the title was a bust of a Roman, presumably some of Windrow's collection of military and historical materials. Owl relaxing on the bust of an austere Roman is an irresistible image.The end is immeasurably sad. Windrow comes home, and after searching finds Mumble dead, apparently from a heart attack prompted by some human intruder (she was fiercely territorial). The last few pages carry a powerful undercurrent of wistful longing and memory. If you like the book you'll likely keep it to reread and reread again. It's that kind of book.

A singular and wonderful book about a human relationship with an unlikely animal. The work Mr Window did to accommodate and attend to Mumble, and the insight into Mumble's "handling" of Mr Windrow is impressive. As a cat lover, I was amazed by the personality similarities between a companion cat and companion owl. The nuzzling, leaping onto the newspaper, the hot and cold attention from the owl, the efforts at communication were very feline. I must say though that I prefer the house trained nature of a cat. Mr Windrow's need to provide caging, access to the open air, deal with droppings required far greater effort than is asked of a cat person. In fact his discussion of Mumble's evacuation process is one of the delights of the book. I was a trifle offput by the scientific info about the owl but I am glad to have read it. There is much here for an animal lover to learn from and enjoy knowing. I know I will never look at an owl the same way again. The book is commendably understated about the bond between man and owl. Mr Windrow's personality is well but naturally conveyed. There is a delightful freeing up of the relationship and joint lifestyles when they move from the cramped apartment to a property in rural Sussex. The sunny joy of that period is delightful as is the maturing of an important relationship. This works well with the chapters on Mumble's typical year which I found a highlight in the book. Finally the poignant ending with its minor tragedy is beautifully conveyed. A minor classic of a book.

This story will make you smile, make you cry and give you a an insight into the beautiful relationship of a man and his bird. It's a lovely book to read and written with such honesty and humour.

Immaculate book. Very pleased. Arrived in good time. Can’t wait to read

My wife absolutely loved reading the story and found the book to have been extremely well written. She found herself charmed by Mumble; its character and distinct personality. Her only reservation was that such a free spirit had be caged, although she understood the necessity for it. I am looking forward to reading it myself and I quite expect to be charmed.

A charming story. Enjoyed every word. A little sad at the end, but expected that. Mumble was gorgeous - wish there were more books like this. Highly recommended - loved it.

Did not disappoint - this was a very interesting read giving good insight into the trials and tribulations of taking on an owl.