Finding your passion

Well, we all know I've found mine (evidence crazy lady with 16 looms, or is that 17?)

But I love to watch a daughter find hers.

The weather held for the falconry lesson that was a birthday gift from her fam.

 

The British School of Falconry is in Manchester, Vermont, about an hour and 15 minute drive for us.

 

It was incredibly educational.  As the one guest allowed, I got to listen, and of course, I was the photographer (using that term loosely)

My daughter loves birds. We affectionately call her the "bird lady".

When that hawk first lighted on her glove, her face was radiant.

 And it stayed that way for the two hours we were there.

 This is Sprint.   They use Harris hawks, as they are more social, and will allow strangers to handle them.  They are found in the southwest, like Arizona.

 As opposed to the red tailed hawk that is common in this area.  They are much more a one person kind of bird.

I was amazed at all of it.
She took to it like she'd been doing it all her life.

 I lost count of how many times she had hawks landing on her hand.

 After the lesson, we went on the "hawk walk".
Dawn, the instructor, is amazing.  She knows falconry, and teaches it with such enthusiasm.

 

It was interesting, listening to one woman talking about her passion, and the student eagerly taking it all it,  two "bird ladies" chatting it up.

  All you have to do is look at their smiles.  Says it all.

 

The hawk walk was amazing.

The two hawks, one male and one female, followed us through the woods, from tree to tree, landing every couple of minutes.

What's totally incredible about these birds, is that no matter how it looks, they have no bond whatever with humans.  They "hunt and they fly".
It's all about the food.
It's all about the training, and them getting the food in the easiest way possible.

  They actually live much longer in captivity.
It's a tough world for a hawk out there.
Most of them don't make the first year.

 

I also didn't know that to have a hawk, one must go through some incredible steps.  There is a lot of study and two years of following a mentor, and being tested.

And then trapping your own hawk, a red tailed hawk.

 

And even then, the state will come to inspect his housing.

This is very well regulated to protect the birds.

 

Then after you've taught the bird to hunt, and had him for a few years, most people release them into the wild, where as an adult bird, he has a better chance.

 With all that's going on in our family right now, with my mother, we needed this day.

 

It was a such a special day, as any day is where you get to watch your child, grown or otherwise, shine their light.

 

And believe me, this girl's got some light to shine.

I could not love her more.