The Small Heat

Shōsho (小暑): July 7-23

The season of SMALL HEAT arrives with the wind. Divided into “the warm winds blow,” followed by “first lotus blossoms,” and “hawks learn to fly,” it is still not oppressively hot—at least in some years here in Los Angeles, July can still bring the marine layer and cooler mornings.

For the most part, the terms of the traditional East Asian calendar don’t line up with my world in southern California, and usually it is that gap that I love to notice and savor….One wonderful exception is the hawks—who right on schedule are learning to fly right now. And by fly, I mean hunt.

鷹乃学習 “Hawks learn to fly”

This year’s nest in the oak tree in the house behind ours brought two gorgeous fledglings. Sometimes, I cannot believe that even three years ago, I could not name the avian critters in my backyard. The pandemic brought things to a standstill—and slowly, slowly, I learned who is who in my backyard—- birding mainly by sound.

kiiii kiiii kiiii

The mother hawk streams by my bathroom window, sometimes with her two babes in tow. Often she flies solitary. I love to hear them heading out. But then, our Northern Mockingbirds can do a great imitation of the hawks! Mockingbirds—brave and courageous—are only ones to face down the hawks, they look them straight in the eye.

We watch them screaming at the hawk, till the hawk finally gives up and flies away...

And the finches go on to live another day...

My friend Donald warns me away from the book H for Hawk. He says that there are scenes of the falconer having to take the kill away from the hawk--because she just can't bear to watch the bird eating its prey still alive! Hunting, they can reach incredible speeds-- H for Hawk or M for Murder? 

There's a Japanese expression: 能ある鷹は爪を隠す

A skilled hawk hides its talons... and so should a wise person keep some of her talents in reserve!

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In Lev Parkian’s wonderful book of Japanese seasons: Light Rains Sometimes Fall: A British Year Through Japan’s 72 Seasons, he mentions that his oak tree really comes to life during this season, hosting a great variety of life—from fungi to squirrels… he writes that, “endearingly, the Bavarian word for “squirrel” eichkätzchen literally means 'oak kitten.” I hope that is true!