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H is for Hawk

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Did you know that you can see falconry in action right here in Glenn County?  Every year there are farmers who utilize professional falconers to keep their crops protected from flocks of birds. h is for hawk
I was reminded of this while reading a marvelous book (available at the Library) “H is for Hawk” by Helen McDonald.  A memoir that chronicles the author’s training of a wild raptor after the devastating death of her father.
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A couple of years ago I got a call from my father –meet him out in Capay if I wanted to see something amazing.  And it was true- watching a pair of falconers fly their birds over fields of blueberries to keep a harvest protected was an awe-inspiring sight.  The falcons don’t even need to hunt, just their presence, soaring over the blueberries kept the other birds away.
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After that, of course we had to learn more.  Luckily, West Coast Falconry offers classes in Northern CA where we received a hands-on lesson with birds of prey.  If you find hawks and falconry as fascinating as I do you can find more books on this subject at the Library!