Nancy corrected me emphatically. “You must never think about rewards or punishments,”she said. “If you think in terms of rewards and punishments, you‘re not thinking partnership. They don‘t serve us, we serve them. …We are not giving them anything,” Nancy stressed, “ it‘s either theirs, or it‘s not. We are working with the bird. It‘s a partnership. And even after all these years, I‘m the junior partner, I am not the master.”
pickI listened to this quick book about Montgomery's experience with falconry and then got the ebook so I could see the photos. Earlier this summer, I did a short falconry class, and watching the birds made me get all teary. This book inspired the same reaction, and I think it's related to the idea of the hawk being so much its own creature: beautiful, powerful, perfectly embodying its purpose, and not at all beholden to humans.
April was not bad after all. I finished both my #bookspin & #doublespin and finished a series for #serieslove2023 Tagged one is my favourite from #April. I am yet to finish the last two books, wilding and #foodandlit book Good true Thai. Looking forward for a productive #May .
pickI have general interest in birds, everyday I feed wild sparrows in my balcony and try to identify birds whenever I travel. But this book is exquisite , and beyond imagination. These are the true anecdotes from the author‘s life. It shed a light on different aspects of bird watching, hunting and love for nature. Short but intense one 5🌟 #doublespin #bookspinbingo #nonfiction2023 #naturalitsybingo #birds
pickI loved this book! Had no idea Sy Montgomery had written so much in addition to The Soul of an Octopus and I‘ll be reading lots more of her backlist. Found this at the library and since I read it, I‘ve ordered a copy for my shelves. 5⭐️
pickA fascinating little celebration of wildness. I hadn‘t known much about raptors beyond H is for Hawk (which I loved) so was happy to learn more. I always enjoy Montgomery‘s passionate and wonder-filled writing. I don‘t think I can ever read enough about the amazingness of birds!
Features gorgeous images by nature photographer Tianne Strombeck, including this one of the author.
pickI‘ve come to expect great nature writing from Sy, and this is no exception. She gets to the heart of the animals she profiles. In this short #audiobook, she writes about her time learning to handle birds of prey, and how this experience challenged her beliefs about hunting and veganism.
(Don‘t worry…she stays vegan herself!)
pickIf The Hummingbird‘s Gift was all about the fragility of life, The Hawk‘s Way is about the ferocity—and about intensity, instinct, and obsession. I learned a lot about hawks from this short work of nonfiction, but it also felt incomplete—and honestly like the author hadn‘t come to a deep enough understanding about why she was so drawn to hawks and hunting with them, given her commitment to vegetarianism.
pick3.5/5
I love the way Montgomery writes about animals. In this very short book, she writes about both the hawk and its wild fierceness, and the unique relationship falconers have with the birds. It's a very short read, but I loved the way it comes across how unlike humans, hawk's are with their incredible instincts.
#netgalley
pickIf you love reading animal non-fiction writing this is a great short intro to hawks and falconry by one of my favorite authors. The author takes lessons and contemplates the complete difference between their species and ours.
Note that this is pulled from her book Birdology with a new introduction. Also if you are squeamish there is a lot of description of the animals hunting (not gratuitously, but just a heads up).
#netgalley
The Hawk's Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty | 
