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On the Wing: To the Edge of the Earth with the Peregrine Falcon
On a mission to map the migration of the peregrine falcon, Alan Tennant and his friend George Vose logged thousands of miles in a rattletrap Cessna. On the Wing is as much quest narrative as nature book, and the tale of the two men's voyage is unforgettable. At their first meeting, when Tennant suggested that they track a radio-tagged falcon by air, WWII vet Vose assessed naturalist Tennant with a keen eye. "Aviation takes intestinal fortitude, Mister. You were pretty green up there today. Calm air, too." Nevertheless, Tennant convinced the gruff pilot that the project was worthy, and they set off, soaring north over the dunes of Gulf Coast barrier islands. The falcon was just a beeping signal to them most of the time, but they became obsessed with its movements. In the small cockpit, they shared extremes of disappointment and elation as they dealt with bad weather, lost signals, run-ins with the Army, and equipment problems. They ended up posing as highway patrol officers, crossing international borders, and risking their lives in order to keep on the track of their wayward subject. Threaded into the funny and moving adventure story, Tennant scatters casual snippets of science--peregrine falcon biology, pesticide toxicology, and the little-understood fact of animal migration itself. The facts never get in the way of the fun, though--this is real Wild Kingdom action. --Therese Littleton
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
November 8, 2019
On the Wing drew me in. I was intrigued by the author following peregrine falcons from his Cessna and investigating their migration patterns (from Texas to the Arctic to the Caribbean...). On the Wing is an incredible adventure. I can appreciate Tennant's obsession with tracking the peregrine; however, as the story shifted from the peregrine to Tennant's own life, I began to lose some interest. I just preferred the focus on the falcons.
August 9, 2023
The author says it best in an interview: "This is not a science book. It's not even really a bird book. This is a romance -- in the broadest sense -- about how I became obsessed with a femme fatale. A falcon. My pilot, George Vose, and I were on a quest, like following the Grail. Our peregrine just mesmerized us. For Vose it was similar to his barnstorming days: flying cross-country without much electronic equipment. We saw what the birds saw, did what they did, fought the same winds, wandered everywhere with them. We shared their puzzlement, their confusion. You can read reams of fact in scientific papers, but that's not the same as living with these creatures, in the air, for months."
However, there Is a ton of information on falcons , birds and wildlife. He also touches on ecology and what is killing off the birds. His writing style is very good and the story enjoyable for the most part. I always have trouble with Nature books and videos because they show the killing and risks for wildlife. It is reality, I know, just not in my world.
However, there Is a ton of information on falcons , birds and wildlife. He also touches on ecology and what is killing off the birds. His writing style is very good and the story enjoyable for the most part. I always have trouble with Nature books and videos because they show the killing and risks for wildlife. It is reality, I know, just not in my world.
February 27, 2017
This memoir features flying, falcons, geography and a look at human-caused destruction of nature.
During the 1980s Alan was studying falcons. They had been known as flying from Alaska to winter in Texas, but nobody knew where. Creatures of trees and cliffs, they seemed to vanish in Texas. Then one tracker thought of going out on a vast tidal flat, more marsh than sand, and there were the peregrines - females - and tiercels - smaller males - busily catching migrating shore birds which were tired and had no cover. Alan managed to catch and radio tag a few, and enlisted a crusty veteran pilot George Vose, to help Alan follow them north with his battered small plane.
The first falcon takes us north across the mountain ridges to Canada - oops, international airspace - and Alaska. Alan tries to explain his fascination and lengthy absence to his girlfriend. Then the second season begins, in which Alan and Vose follow a falcon or three south for winter across the rainforest of Mexico, Central America, Belize. Oops, international airspace.
As well as marvelling at the masters of the air and their prey, and finding welcomes among simply living people or dangers from drug growers, Alan imparts the knowledge of his field. DDT was found to be passing up the food chain through insects to small birds and accumulating in falcons so their eggs could not hatch. The insecticide was eventually banned in America, but is still in the ecosystem; along with paraquat it was found as standard by Alan and Vose in the lands south of the border. Just a couple of poisoned small birds would kill a falcon. Oil sludge is another huge hazard in Mexico. And Alan is told that in Argentina, the woods are all cleared to leave wheat fields, so falcons perch on the trees planted to shelter estancia buildings; the ranch hands take pot shots at them. No wonder the top predator bird population has crashed and few of each year's brood returns. Conservation and breeding efforts are described.
Alan was shocked, sad and disappointed when his last falcon headed arrow-straight out over the Gulf of Mexico, because he knew that this healthy bird could not make it all the way across the water. Falcons can't fly all that way as they don't store fat, and have to migrate around by land, it was assumed. But he wasn't seeing any on land. He thought his bird was doomed. And the small plane fuel tanks would not let him follow. Once more Alan tries to explain his fascination and lengthy absence to his girlfriend.
The afterword tells us where the bird probably went, like the Texan flats. Not so daft after all. Today birds are tracked by satellite, but this flight memoir gives a real feeling of what it's like to fly through a cloud layer, get buffeted by a storm, spot perching places for the night and cover completely unknown landscapes. I strongly recommend the read for people interested in nature or small planes.
During the 1980s Alan was studying falcons. They had been known as flying from Alaska to winter in Texas, but nobody knew where. Creatures of trees and cliffs, they seemed to vanish in Texas. Then one tracker thought of going out on a vast tidal flat, more marsh than sand, and there were the peregrines - females - and tiercels - smaller males - busily catching migrating shore birds which were tired and had no cover. Alan managed to catch and radio tag a few, and enlisted a crusty veteran pilot George Vose, to help Alan follow them north with his battered small plane.
The first falcon takes us north across the mountain ridges to Canada - oops, international airspace - and Alaska. Alan tries to explain his fascination and lengthy absence to his girlfriend. Then the second season begins, in which Alan and Vose follow a falcon or three south for winter across the rainforest of Mexico, Central America, Belize. Oops, international airspace.
As well as marvelling at the masters of the air and their prey, and finding welcomes among simply living people or dangers from drug growers, Alan imparts the knowledge of his field. DDT was found to be passing up the food chain through insects to small birds and accumulating in falcons so their eggs could not hatch. The insecticide was eventually banned in America, but is still in the ecosystem; along with paraquat it was found as standard by Alan and Vose in the lands south of the border. Just a couple of poisoned small birds would kill a falcon. Oil sludge is another huge hazard in Mexico. And Alan is told that in Argentina, the woods are all cleared to leave wheat fields, so falcons perch on the trees planted to shelter estancia buildings; the ranch hands take pot shots at them. No wonder the top predator bird population has crashed and few of each year's brood returns. Conservation and breeding efforts are described.
Alan was shocked, sad and disappointed when his last falcon headed arrow-straight out over the Gulf of Mexico, because he knew that this healthy bird could not make it all the way across the water. Falcons can't fly all that way as they don't store fat, and have to migrate around by land, it was assumed. But he wasn't seeing any on land. He thought his bird was doomed. And the small plane fuel tanks would not let him follow. Once more Alan tries to explain his fascination and lengthy absence to his girlfriend.
The afterword tells us where the bird probably went, like the Texan flats. Not so daft after all. Today birds are tracked by satellite, but this flight memoir gives a real feeling of what it's like to fly through a cloud layer, get buffeted by a storm, spot perching places for the night and cover completely unknown landscapes. I strongly recommend the read for people interested in nature or small planes.
May 24, 2014
In some cases there are no obvious economic reasons for the conservation of a species, but an author such as Alan Tennant, in his book, the national bestseller, On The Wing (or, To The Edge Of The Earth With The Peregrine Falcon, Anchor Books, Random House, 2005), does such a thorough job of describing the tenacity and beautifully wild nature of the creature, it is impossible to walk away and see the peregrine falcon pass into oblivion. In Tennant's book the species is the subject of a quest told in the form of a passionate, humorous epic with many interesting and informative digressions. His book convinces mankind to work to save a bird that has captured the minds and hearts of millions throughout the course of history.
November 4, 2024
Maintenant moi aussi je suis fascinée par les faucons
December 11, 2008
The one-phrase rundown: a well-written hell of a ride.
This, like Sunk Without a Sound, was a book I picked up in a VC at a national park, this time Big Bend. Alan Tennant is a Texas-based writer whose numerous otherworks include a field guide to snakes. Someone from my old stomping ground who likes snakes? I thought. That was rare enough to warrant further investigation.
I found the book to a real page-turner. It details the author’s obsession with following several radio-tagged peregrine falcons from Alaska to central America. Alan and his barnstorming pilot George pull off some amazing exploits in this tale, including impersonating Texas DPS (state troopers), being mistaken for DEA agents, stealing US Army telemetry gear, and sneaking across international borders in a small plane with a broken radio. I was unable to ascertain exactly when these events occurred, but my suspicion was the late 80s to early 90s, since he probably had to wait to publish until the statutes of limitation had expired on some of his feats :)
Part of the fun of reading about their deeds of daring do was realizing how special those adventures really were; many of the things Alan and George did in the air will never again happen in our post-9/11 world. For me, it was also very entertaining to fly along with Alan and George to long-forgotten places from my adolescence. I wonder if I’ll ever read another book mentioning Poteet, Texas (it’s all about the strawberries in Poteet).
I highly recommend this book, even if you didn’t have the good fortune to grow up in Texas (it’s a frigging joke - just grin and don’t give me a bunch of crap). I think private pilots would really enjoy the aerial aspects and I’ve recommended it to some with whom I’ve flown, including my dad who plied the Texas skies. Basically, the story is wonderful and Tennant is a gifted writer.
This, like Sunk Without a Sound, was a book I picked up in a VC at a national park, this time Big Bend. Alan Tennant is a Texas-based writer whose numerous otherworks include a field guide to snakes. Someone from my old stomping ground who likes snakes? I thought. That was rare enough to warrant further investigation.
I found the book to a real page-turner. It details the author’s obsession with following several radio-tagged peregrine falcons from Alaska to central America. Alan and his barnstorming pilot George pull off some amazing exploits in this tale, including impersonating Texas DPS (state troopers), being mistaken for DEA agents, stealing US Army telemetry gear, and sneaking across international borders in a small plane with a broken radio. I was unable to ascertain exactly when these events occurred, but my suspicion was the late 80s to early 90s, since he probably had to wait to publish until the statutes of limitation had expired on some of his feats :)
Part of the fun of reading about their deeds of daring do was realizing how special those adventures really were; many of the things Alan and George did in the air will never again happen in our post-9/11 world. For me, it was also very entertaining to fly along with Alan and George to long-forgotten places from my adolescence. I wonder if I’ll ever read another book mentioning Poteet, Texas (it’s all about the strawberries in Poteet).
I highly recommend this book, even if you didn’t have the good fortune to grow up in Texas (it’s a frigging joke - just grin and don’t give me a bunch of crap). I think private pilots would really enjoy the aerial aspects and I’ve recommended it to some with whom I’ve flown, including my dad who plied the Texas skies. Basically, the story is wonderful and Tennant is a gifted writer.
June 18, 2023
J’ai un nouvel animal préféré 🦅
April 18, 2018
Hard to believe there is a book about birds that I read and felt, "Meh" about. But this is one.
I had a really hard time even getting into the book. It took me three separate attempts to get through it. (After the second failed attempt, I actually placed it in a box to donate, but then removed it.)
What prompted me to finally finish it this time was a reading challenge I'm involved in (read 12 books about birds or birding in 12 months.)
It just didn't grab me. (Obviously). There were parts I enjoyed - like the section on their adventures in Belize, because I would have been there not much before the author and his pilot buddy visited there. I also enjoyed the section where he's in Alaska, camping and birding.
Some of the author's observations during his pursuit of falcons did reiterate to me how badly we trash the environment.
However, there were long stretches of the book in which I felt just bored.
I probably would only have given it a rating of 2.5, if half-stars were permitted. But it had to be 2 or 3, so 3 it was.
I had a really hard time even getting into the book. It took me three separate attempts to get through it. (After the second failed attempt, I actually placed it in a box to donate, but then removed it.)
What prompted me to finally finish it this time was a reading challenge I'm involved in (read 12 books about birds or birding in 12 months.)
It just didn't grab me. (Obviously). There were parts I enjoyed - like the section on their adventures in Belize, because I would have been there not much before the author and his pilot buddy visited there. I also enjoyed the section where he's in Alaska, camping and birding.
Some of the author's observations during his pursuit of falcons did reiterate to me how badly we trash the environment.
However, there were long stretches of the book in which I felt just bored.
I probably would only have given it a rating of 2.5, if half-stars were permitted. But it had to be 2 or 3, so 3 it was.
August 2, 2011
Whew! Finally finished this one up. It was a fascinating read but not a quick one, that's for certain. I never stopped being interested; the book never dragged for me, it just took a long time to get through for some reason. Tennant is very obviously incredibly knowledgeable about birds, especially falcons, and I learned a huge amount. I felt he also really captured the unique personality of his pilot. Oddly, though, there were only a few moments in the book where his deep love for the birds they were following and the joys and disappointments of their journey really shone through for me. Most of the time, I felt I was travelling along with a clinical scientist, not an emotionally involved layman. Definitely a good read nonetheless.
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January 31, 2024Loved this, equally enjoyed the environmental narrative going on as the bird flew over.
Read
September 12, 2024I finished this but - it wasn’t really worth my time.
January 12, 2025
Slower read for me personally. Liked the concept but it struggled to keep my attention
February 7, 2009
The worst part about the book was the lack of the year it took place, which would have really helped set the scene. I could tell it was obviously pre-sept. 11th, 2001, but after it really bothering me for a long time, I think it probably actually took place sometime in the '80s. I even searched the author online for a bit and couldn't figure it out. The publication date (2005) did not help at all. Anyway, it is about two random guys who fly a plane after some peregrine falcons using stolen army radio tracking equipment, and track some falcons through canada all the way to alaska, and then some others down into mexico and guatamala (starting in texas both times). pretty cool.
September 29, 2012
Sort of a poor man's version of a "Big Year," focusing on just one remarkable kind of bird. I felt bad for the author's long-suffering girlfriend, but also admired his obsession--really, he is in love with birds, particularly falcons, and with their wildness. The story had elements of The Big Year, On the Road, Silent Spring, and maybe evemn a little bit of The African Queen. The inexorable march of human "progress" and industry (those vast sludge ponds!) is distressing and depressing. But the birds' tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds--possibly even death and eventual extinction--somehow inspires hope.
September 8, 2018
This was difficult to get into and most of the first third was boring. I almost gave up, but then it started improving, and it also successfully incorporated some of the science behind peregrine falcon behavior. I found the discussion offshore drilling platform ornithology especially interesting. It's a shame they couldn't have joined an ornithological expedition instead of trying to do everything by themselves and running into so much trouble in Central America. I could have done without some of the relationship drama, but this was at least as much quest narrative as science, so it wasn't completely out of place.
August 26, 2020
It's difficult to balance what I know of the real life people involved and their dealings, legal or not, in birds or prey and falconry, with what is an interesting story. What I know of many of the people mentioned isn't respectable so it's hard to root for them.
The writing draws me back to Jack Kerouac without the beat, a great adventure story, and due to it being true, it doesn't wrap up in nice bows the way some reviewers would want.
Working with the most on the law side of people in falconry in existence puts me at odds with the story. I found myself torn between rooting for the author and feeling uncomfortable for enjoying the story.
Do with that what you will haha.
The writing draws me back to Jack Kerouac without the beat, a great adventure story, and due to it being true, it doesn't wrap up in nice bows the way some reviewers would want.
Working with the most on the law side of people in falconry in existence puts me at odds with the story. I found myself torn between rooting for the author and feeling uncomfortable for enjoying the story.
Do with that what you will haha.
July 26, 2010
Listening to audiobook, read by author, whose voice reminds me slightly of Roy Blount, Jr. Excellent story so far. The asides can be mildly distracting, but IMO that's not a problem in an audiobook.
It almost felt like two connected tales since Tennant first follows Amelia north to her breeding grounds, then tracks three Peregrines on their southerly migration. I was most intrigued during Amelia's tale, but found the other to be pleasant also. Birders, naturalists, and travelers may enjoy this audiobook.
It almost felt like two connected tales since Tennant first follows Amelia north to her breeding grounds, then tracks three Peregrines on their southerly migration. I was most intrigued during Amelia's tale, but found the other to be pleasant also. Birders, naturalists, and travelers may enjoy this audiobook.
July 10, 2011
I listened to the 5CD abridged version of this book.
This is more or less an adventure story centered on the chase for several tagged peregrine falcons.
The main point in any book like this is how much it draws you in. In this case it didn't. Altho they certainly go thru alot (some would say much too much) to try and track these birds, I never got caught up in the adventure. Maybe if you were a hardcore birder that might help, but I am not. It occasionally veers into the romance and philosophy of life, love and chasing a dream, but it simply didn't add up for me.
This is more or less an adventure story centered on the chase for several tagged peregrine falcons.
The main point in any book like this is how much it draws you in. In this case it didn't. Altho they certainly go thru alot (some would say much too much) to try and track these birds, I never got caught up in the adventure. Maybe if you were a hardcore birder that might help, but I am not. It occasionally veers into the romance and philosophy of life, love and chasing a dream, but it simply didn't add up for me.
June 10, 2012
A vaguely interesting read about animals, and one peregrine's migration journey. The most interesting thing about it, was that it allowed me to think about how much a migratory route depends on stored memory of landscape- which we are rapidly changing. This helps to explain the increase in extinction rates in birds more than other animals.
Other than that, I wasn't very impressed. Nothing about it really drew me in, and I found my mind wandering at certain times while reading it. Some parts probably could have been cut that were boring and not really useful to the narrative.
Other than that, I wasn't very impressed. Nothing about it really drew me in, and I found my mind wandering at certain times while reading it. Some parts probably could have been cut that were boring and not really useful to the narrative.
October 2, 2014
I am listening to this book on audio book CDs. Alan Tennant, both writer and narrator, is taking me on a journey of a lifetime. The layers of this story are rich and deep. As a birder I was passionate about that focus but quickly learned that Alan brings a fullness to his teaching by layering in geography, culture, science, human relationships and of course the Peregrine Falcons that he follows. I am sure it is a great read, it is most certainly an incredible read/listen.
March 31, 2015
This one was a major disappointment for me. There's some attention to the life of Peregrine Falcons, but the book is really much more about the thinking of a person who is entirely too self-centered and ( ). I'm not keen on being preached at by someone who has real problems with law and authority, who can't get his own relationships properly prioritized, and who plants a huge carbon footprint down while sniffing about the habits of the rest of us. You're no role model, kid.
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July 30, 2015Recently rediscovered when unpacking books, I read this volume while at Taji, Iraq in 2004. It is a wonderful story of the route taken by Amelia, a peregrine falcon, on the migration from south Texas to the Artic Circle. I loved the writing, the naturalism, the adventure, the sympathy of Tennant for Amelia, and the paradigm of the migration my heart and soul desired then, and still does, to take... To find a way home. The great paragraph is found on page 77.
February 17, 2020
A fascinating story of tracking peregrine falcons from the Alaska tundra to their winter nesting places somewhere in Central America, this story is part natural adventure and part aviation adventure. In the mid 1980s, Tennant and pilot George Vose, follow several transmitter-attached peregrine falcons with his small Skyhawk 469 airplane.
This book is not a fast read; take the time to savor the scenery and the situations; but it’s a good read.
This book is not a fast read; take the time to savor the scenery and the situations; but it’s a good read.
January 1, 2010
I am so enamored by raptors - often frightening other motorists as I peer upwards to watch a hawk or even vulture soar on massive wings above me... This story, following the migrating peregrines from Mexico to the Arctic Circle, was fascinating. Suspenseful, educational, romantic, adventure story... I love hearing of anyone following a passion to the ends of the earth!
December 22, 2015
If you like birds, and small planes, and natural history mysteries (one of my favorite trifectas), you'll probably enjoy this research travelogue like I did.
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My selection for Task #10 (A micro-history) on the BookRiot #readharder challenge 2015
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My selection for Task #10 (A micro-history) on the BookRiot #readharder challenge 2015
May 29, 2020
If you’re interested in most anything peregrine then you’ll find this quite worthwhile. Beyond the peregrine connection there is a really great memoir here if only it’d had a better editing. It was mostly interesting, but suffers from disjointed presentation and some moments of unnecessary devolution in the latter half.
August 9, 2016
Slow to get into, but eventually quite gripping to follow the journey of Tennant as he follows a handful of peregrine falcons. The observations on the falcons are interesting, but even more are the environmental degradations Tennant happens across throughout the Americas.
December 24, 2022
This is a well written journey about 2 men following a couple of peregrine falcons. I wish it had more pictures! LOL I love peregrines so I knew I'd like the book but I was surprised about how engrossed in the story I became and how close you feel to the author and the falcon!
May 8, 2011
This is a good book to read at the beach or on vacation. It has many interesting facts about nature and lots of funny moments. The author's love of nature comes through and enhances the story. I thought it was very well written.
August 2, 2022
It feels like I should have liked this more than I did, because it's a fairly crazy adventure story with insight into falcon life. It's not badly written, but for some reason it never quite managed to hook me.
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