Northern Harriers – Page 12 – Feathered Photography

A Northern Harrier Kind Of Morning

Normally I avoid doing back to back posts on the same species but I went out shooting immediately after I published that last post and surprisingly it turned out to be a heckuva harrier morning. I’ve mentioned before that I usually have my best luck with harriers in the middle of winter, but yesterday I found two cooperative birds. 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in This beauty was hunkered down for a break from hunting and let me get surprisingly close. It was early morning, the light was warm, and the bird posed for me for a long time. I chose to post this almost direct look from the hawk for a reason – because out of all those images, this one shows the unique harrier facial disc best. A facial disc is a concave arrangement of feathers on the face of some birds (most notably owls) that forms a circular parabaloid that collects sound waves and redirects them toward the ears. In harriers the disc is less prominent than in owls, but larger in relative size because it extends to the neck, so it is commonly referred to as a facial ruff, rather than a disc. The large ear openings of harriers are buried in the feathers of the head and can’t be seen. The angle of the disc or ruff feathers can be adjusted to alter the focal length of the sound waves they’re collecting, which allows the bird to “focus” at different distances – a…

Northern Harrier Basking In The Rising Sun

Just a single image this morning. Normally I can never get close to a harrier perched in a tree but this one made an exception for me. 1/800, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in As I approached this juvenile male (solid rufous breast, light iris) on a cold morning, the rising sun was still behind the mountains so it felt secure in the shade as I positioned my pickup for the best angle I could get. When the sunlight finally hit the bird he was determined to soak in the warmth (rather than fly off) so he spread his tail, fluffed up and posed for me for several minutes. The light was directional but I liked its effect. I’ve added no saturation to the image. Ron

Male Northern Harrier Almost Blown Off His Perch

I don’t often get close to perched male harriers but on Antelope Island a couple of months ago this one made an exception for me. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc As I watched him through my lens a sudden wind gust almost blew him off of this pointed and precarious post perch and I liked some of the poses that resulted. It’s times like this that I appreciate the relatively fast burst rate of the Canon 7D. I didn’t get a great look at the eye in this first shot but I liked the tail, wing and left foot positions that show his obvious attempt to recover stability on the perch. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc A better look at the eye and a higher wing position in this image… 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc and in the very next frame he extends his left wing far out in front. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Still recovering. Notice the bloody feet in these shots, most likely from his last vole meal. 1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Finally, he’s recovered enough to give me direct eye contact. 1/2500, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc A little ruffled by the experience but in the end, all’s well. This series is an example of why, after I’ve taken a few static shots of the bird, I like to bump my settings to give me enough shutter speed…

Male Northern Harrier In Flight

When asked to name my favorite avian species I always bristle a bit at the question but if pressed on the subject I’ll sometimes provide a short list of candidates and I must admit that the Northern Harrier is likely to be the first one mentioned. The vanity plate on my pickup (and at the top of this blog page) is evidence that can’t be denied that I do play favorites to some degree. My admiration for the species is based on a variety of factors – their beauty, the stunning dimorphism of the sexes which is so unusual among raptors, the challenge of photographing such a wary subject, their incredible agility in flight (especially while hunting) and at the top of my list would be their admirable tenacity at survival in abysmal conditions which I’ve witnessed first hand. 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I’m especially delighted when I can get close to the male (the elusive “gray ghost”) in flight with a wing position and background I like. Throw in eye contact (they always seem to be looking down) and no blown whites in the rump patch and I’ve had a good day. Ron

Male Northern Harrier In Warm Light

Just a single image this time. I found this male Northern Harrier trying to catch some warming rays soon after the sun came up on a cold morning this past winter. 1/1250, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I was too close to keep from clipping body parts as he lifted off but as you can see I was fighting for depth of field and shutter speed in this light anyway so I was reasonably happy to get what I did.. One of the few things I miss about frigid winters is the approachability of some of the raptors when it’s very cold. I could never get this close to a perched harrier in the summer months. Ron

Northern Harrier Defending Its Meal

Long ago I posted some images of Northern Harriers fighting over this Mallard but I have other shots of the fracas that I’ve never posted so I thought I’d share some of them today. 1/1250, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc For the moment this bird has sole control over the duck but it knows the situation to be tenuous at best. The wings-out pose and fierce look are fair warning to the other harriers in the vicinity (and there are lots of them) that any attempt to share in the feast will be met with resistance. 1/1250, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc These birds have been starving because of a brutally cold and snowy winter so this harrier begins a frenzy of feeding in an attempt to swallow as much food as possible before other birds move in. 1/1250, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc And it doesn’t take long before all hell breaks loose. At this point I often wasn’t getting enough depth of field for multiple birds so decided to risk f/10 and a slower shutter speed for the rest of the session. 1/800, f/10, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I was lacking in both shutter speed and depth of field for this shot and I’m not happy with the shadow on the face but liked the talons on the back. 1/800, f/10, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc For a few moments both birds tolerated each other on the duck but that didn’t last long… …

The Harrier And The Dumpster

Multiple times in the past few years there’s been a Northern Harrier perched on one of the bushes around this gravel parking lot but without exception every time I’ve tried to approach the bird it has flown off before I could get close enough for a quality shot. Frustrating… So earlier this week when I spotted a handsome male on the large darker bush to the right in the photo below I decided to try a different tack. Birds very often seem much less inclined to spook if there’s something between them and the photographer and it doesn’t have to be anything very substantial – even a few twigs will often do. Having something physical between them and a potential threat seems to give them a sense of security. So even though I’ve often cussed this ugly old dumpster over the years (I realize it’s there for a very good reason) I decided to try to put it to good use for my purposes. I slowly drove to the left of the dumpster, turned around and approached the bird with the dumpster between me and the harrier. The harrier obviously knew I was there but with the ugly old hunk of metal between us it didn’t fly off. Then as I got very close to the dumpster I slowly turned to my right just far enough to give me a look at the bird through my lens from my pickup window. 1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc As you can see the harrier was…

Kiting Male Northern Harrier

On this morning at Farmington Bay we weren’t having very much luck with birds so Mia suggested that we hang out next to a high dike where the south wind was creating an updraft that we’d seen a male Northern Harrier kiting in earlier. Despite the less than perfect light angle it turned out to be another one of Mia’s good ideas because it wasn’t long before the harrier returned to play in the updrafts and hunt the dike edges. 1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Two things made this an especially interesting situation – the fact that the harrier was kiting (giving us more time with the bird) and the variety of backgrounds we got when the harrier would move just a few feet in the air. It was a partly cloudy day and the bird was usually hanging just above the snow-covered Wasatch Range to the east so at times I got thin white clouds in the background, or a mix of clouds and blue sky, or both sky and mountains or the mountains alone. Throw into that mix the fact that the light was constantly changing because of the clouds and you’ll understand the exposure difficulties that morning. 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Because of the challenging light angle much of the harrier was often backlit but the head turn in this shot giving light on the head and eye made this image work for me. 1/1250, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4 Here the light was…

Northern Harrier Vomiting

No great photography today but some interesting behavior. I’ve often seen and photographed various bird species hacking up a pellet but this was my first experience with one vomiting. 1/500, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc When I first got this Northern Harrier in my viewfinder I thought it was acting slightly odd – it seemed lethargic, reluctant to fly and its head was hanging low. Then it suddenly vomited. 1/500, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc The vomitus was thick, mucus-like and stringy and I’m quite sure no pellet was expelled. I had an email discussion about this behavior with a friend (thanks once again Ingrid) and sent her these photos. They were forwarded to the Cascades Raptor Center who said that this behavior is something they’ve not seen before and that it isn’t “normal”. When this bird had finished vomiting it stayed perched (very unusual) as I drove through a gate perhaps 25′ to the right of the bird. I drove down the road to let it recover in peace and when I returned about a half hour later it was gone. Ron

Northern Harrier In Flight

Usually winter has been the best time for me to photograph Northern Harriers but my opportunities with them have been relatively sparse this year. So with the season rapidly coming to an end I was delighted to find this cooperative bird yesterday morning near the Great Salt Lake. 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4 The harrier allowed a close approach while hunting and this time the light was favorable too. Occasionally the bird would look up and provide good eye contact. 1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4 I found it difficult to get anything but sky in the background but for this image it dipped down low enough for me to get the lake as a backdrop. 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4 The sun was high enough that the far wing was usually shaded while in the down position but I think there’s still enough light and detail there to make this work. 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4 Here the bird was a little past me but the slight look back I got helped to compensate for that. It’s very possible that this was my last good harrier opportunity until next winter so I’m appreciative of yesterday’s serendipitous encounter. Ron

Odd Behavior In A Young Male Northern Harrier

It’s likely that I’m more interested in bird behaviors than some of my readers – if so I hope you’ll bear with me through this post. Even though the light was terrible for photography much of the time, witnessing this odd behavior was a treat for me. As most folks who try to photograph harriers know, they’re generally an elusive quarry and difficult to get close to. Occasionally you may get a close fly-by if you’re lucky but yesterday I had an experience with a harrier that I had never seen before and I’ve spent a lot of time around harriers. Mia and I first found the bird (a young male just transitioning to adult plumage) perched close to the road and as we attempted to get close for some shots it lifted off, just as we expected. I assumed it was long gone as usually happens with these birds but that’s not how it turned out. 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc As we were preparing to drive further down the road we noticed the harrier coming back and it landed quite close to us again. Very unusual, so we decided to hang around and see how the cards played out. 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc The harrier began to call. Sometimes it sounded like the typical harrier call that I’ve heard so many times in the past but occasionally this bird sounded different – Mia thought it sounded almost like a parrot. 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc It stayed on the same…

Northern Harrier Hunting a Vole

Over the last five years I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time photographing, watching and studying hunting Northern Harriers. When they pounce on their prey the action is usually so far away (or buried in the vegetation) that I don’t get a good look at what’s actually happening. But all that changed with this adult female who was so intent on capturing a vole buried deep in the matted, dried vegetation that she virtually ignored me. What fun to watch! Unlike most other hawks, harriers very often use auditory cues (sound) to locate prey. In fact they have a facial “ruff” or disc much like owls do and its purpose is the same – to funnel sounds to the ears. The feathers that form the disc can be raised in response to noise, essentially enlarging the disc and improving hearing. 1/1000, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Harriers often hunt along predictable “pathways” and this one had made several passes by me earlier. However this time she attempted to pounced on something right in front of me – almost certainly it was a vole since they are very nearly the exclusive diet of wintering harriers. 1/1000, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc She missed the vole but from her demeanor she could obviously hear it under the mat of vegetation and she became quite agitated in her attempts to get at it. 1/1600, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc She repeatedly rose into the air a couple of feet and pounced back down on the same spot with her…

Strange Encounter with a Northern Harrier and a Junco

For me, life just doesn’t get much better than when I’m watching interesting or unusual bird behaviors up close. I was photographing this male Northern Harrier out my pickup window while it was perched on the clump of snow-bent vegetation you see in the image below when I heard a soft scratching sound coming from the front of my truck. I quickly glanced to my right and noticed that a Dark-eyed Junco had landed square in the middle of the hood of the truck. I thought that was unusual of course but I was more interested in the harrier so I quickly turned back to watching him through my viewfinder and it immediately became apparent that the harrier was now fixated on that junco. 1/3200, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I’ve spent hundreds of hours watching and photographing harriers and it’s virtually unheard of for one to take off in my direction when I’m this close to the bird. Usually the direction of take off is away from me or if I’m lucky it might be either to my left or right. But this one had apparently decided that it wanted junco for lunch and when it launched it immediately turned slightly and headed straight toward the junco on my truck hood. 1/3200, f/8, ISO 400, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc If you look carefully at the harriers eyes in all four shots you’ll notice that he isn’t really focused on me – instead he’s looking slightly to my right, directly at the junco on the hood of the…

A License to Bird

To be perfectly honest I’ve always been slightly disdainful of personalized (vanity) license plates, at least for me. I generally prefer relative anonymity, partly because my natural inclination is to avoid bringing attention to myself (so why am I blogging?…) Not to say that I don’t enjoy reading them on other vehicles while driving and I often have fun with the challenge of trying to figure out what some of them really mean. Since I spend a lot of time photographing birds I occasionally run across “birder plates” at some of the refuges and marshes I frequent. So recently, after the purchase of a new pickup, I decided to break out of my mold and join the crowd. For me, “HARRIER” was almost a foregone conclusion if it was still available, and it was. Many of the better images in my avian collection are of the Northern Harrier, which most folks refer to simply as “harrier”. Whenever I’m forced to choose a favorite avian subject (a choice I don’t like to make) I typically choose this species. They’re magnificent aerial athletes, beautiful, extremely challenging photographic subjects and they carry that “raptor mystique”. Canon 7D, 1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 500, EV -0.33, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc After waiting over 6 weeks to have them delivered (come on Utah, get on the stick!) they finally arrived a few days ago. Today was my first day photographing birds since I got them and I thought it fitting that I was able to get this shot of a juvenile male harrier taking off from a sagebrush out on Antelope…

Raptors Mobbing Raptors

Mobbing is an antipredator behavior where animals mob a predator by cooperatively attacking or harassing it. This behavior is especially common in birds during nesting and rearing of young. Typically, it will be a flock of passerines like Red-winged Blackbirds mobbing a raptor or perhaps a magpie or any other bird they consider to be a threat to their nest or young. In mid-June of this year while Mia and I were on another one of our camping/photo forays to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge we witnessed a somewhat unusual display of mobbing – raptors mobbing raptors. We had just returned to our camping trailer when Mia noticed this sub-adult Bald Eagle resting on a muskrat mound almost a quarter-mile away across Lower Red Rock Lake – too far away for quality photos (we had marginal light too) but we simply can’t resist training our lenses on a situation like this just to see if something interesting might happen. And this time it did. Canon 7D, 1/800, f/6.3, ISO 500 ev +1.33, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc The eagle seemed to be minding its own business and just hanging out for a while on the mound. Canon 7D, 1/640, f/6.3, ISO 500 ev +1.33, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc But soon a Short-eared Owl (a male I believe) appeared on the scene and he was not happy with the presence of the eagle. My presumption is that the owl had a nest in the area and it felt the eagle threatened the nest or young. Canon 7D, 1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 800 ev +1.00,…

Category: Northern Harriers