Sonoma Discoveries November-December 2016

John Hawley, winemaker, falconer and founder of Hawley Cellars, sits on the deck of his home overlooking Dry Creek Valley. A goshawk perches on his gloved fist. Still young, the bird’s black eyes will eventually turn a piercing red, its wings shades of blue and gray. Goshawks fly silently through the forest pursuing smaller birds or mammal prey. “They are aggressive. Falconers tend to give them names like Godzilla,” John says. “I call my bird Happy. That’s how he makes me feel.” John takes a slice of meat from a cloth bag and places it beside the bird. Happy rips it to shreds, and consumes it. READ MORE