Hawk Lady

We have always felt a fascination with birds of prey. Beautiful, exciting, immutably wild, the raptors, as they are called, are symbols of freedom; for centuries they have been admired for their strength and grace.

In modern times, however, these noble birds---falcons, hawks, eagles, owls---have largely been displaced by another, farm more dangerous predator: Man. Threatened both by the legitimate efforts of farmers and ranchers to protect livestock and by the destructiveness of hunters, their habitats eradicated by land development, and their survival menaced by pesticides and pollution, the raptors are fortunate to have such a champion as Stellanie Ure.

HAWK LADY is the story of her efforts to protect these wonderful creations of nature. For the last five years, with the help of her husband and her children, she has cared for injured and abandoned birds at her home in Utah. Starting modestly with a pair of owlets named Cheech and Chong, they expanded to include numerous fascinating characters including a golden eagle and a pair of long-eared owls who grew to love TV. Some they raised from babies, others they nursed back to health, and some, sadly, died.

The reader will share the satisfaction of a fledgling's first flight and the sorrows of a feathery friend's death; will be fascinated by the history, lore, and biology of the birds of prey; and will experience the bittersweet sensation of returning a temporary guest to the wild where it belongs. HAWK LADY is a moving, ultimately joyous account of one woman's concern for the future of our natural heritage, and will delight conservationists and wild-life lovers alike.