Our February book club outing got us up close and personal with the subject of the month’s book, H is for Hawk. We met John the Falconer, who introduced us to a Saker Falcon named Benedict and an Eagle Owl named Lady Bird. John ushered us inside to gather around the fireplace while he brought out Benny and talked about the history of falconry and how it works. Looking at Benny, I couldn’t help but think of Helen’s description of her Goshawk, Mabel.

In the half-light through the drawn curtains she sits on her perch, relaxed, hooded, extraordinary. Formidable talons, wicked, curved black beak, sleek, cafe-au-lait front streaked thickly with cocoa-coloured teardrops, looking for all the world like some cappuccino samurai.

 

Falconry is an ancient sport that dates back to 2000 BC. It was popular in the Middle East and Mongolian Empire as well as in Europe, where it is most associated with medieval times. While falcons were used for hunting, they were mostly a status symbol. Only the elite classes had the time and money to spend on training their birds. As Helen Macdonald writes in H is for Hawk, falconry takes an abundance of time and patience.

One of my favorite parts of the book was learning all the vocabulary that goes along with falconry. Helen is an austringer since she flies a hawk, not a falcon. And I was holding Benny who is a tiercel, or a male hawk, that was 1/3 smaller than the female hawk. John showed us the equipment- anklets, jesses, and hoods.

As a child I’d cleaved to falconry’s disconcertingly complex vocabulary. In my old books every part of the hawk was named: wings were sails, claws pounces, tail a train… Hawks don’t wipe their beaks, they feak. When they defecate they mute.

John especially wanted us to know about the dangers for these beautiful birds. Toxins like DDT almost wiped out the population of many birds including peregrine falcons which became an endangered species and led to the first captive breeding of the species in the 1970’s. In some countries, falcons and hawks are still seen as a status symbol which makes them valuable on the black market and vulnerable to trafficking. Captive breeding has become more prevalent in these areas which reduces the stress on the wild populations.

After we learned all about Benny, John brought out the most magnificent bird I’ve ever seen, an Eagle Owl named Lady Bird. She is truly massive, weighing about 5 pounds with a layer of feathers 2 inches deep. Her furry talons and sharp beak were intimidating, but John showed us how to rub her feathers between her eyes which she enjoyed.

After a windy and rainy morning, the clouds broke for some sunshine. I tore myself away from Lady Bird to meet up with some other members for a walk at Seward Park. The others stayed and got to meet some other birds and even fly them. John was wonderfully generous with his time and really has a deep love for his birds.

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

 

Book Ends

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• Watch the documentary, H is for Hawk: A New Chapter, about Helen’s experience training a new Goshawk 10 years after training Mabel
• Read a review of H is for Hawk from a falconer’s perspective
• Lots of words and phrases we use today come from falconry, here are a few popular ones