The Northern Harrier is arguably my favorite subject and I tend to post images of them often. Their dramatic sexual dimorphism in plumage color almost makes it seem as if I’m photographing two different species when I compare adult males to females.
Because of my fondness for raptor take-off shots I work hard at trying to predict what direction they will take off so I can be as prepared as possible. But to say it’s not an exact science is an understatement.
My plan this morning was to make a simple, single image post but with a snowstorm predicted for today I began to reminisce about my last Montana camping venture and decided to take a trip down memory lane with this post. I hoped to make one last visit to Montana before winter set in but I’ve now faced the grim reality that it just isn’t going to happen. These images were all taken in mid-September in and near the Centennial Valley.
Over the years I’ve seen a number of birds with eye problems. Some of them appeared to be infections and others injuries but I’m beginning to notice a pattern of symptoms that looks similar from bird to bird – particularly in raptors. I’ve included two examples here.
When I was teaching high school zoology I was fascinated by the many adaptations of birds for flight. Still am. One of them is a unique muscle arrangement that allows the return stroke of the wing while maintaining aerodynamic stability. I hope you’ll allow me a little change in direction with today’s post as I attempt to explain and illustrate one of the anatomical adaptations of birds for flight.
This past summer I photographed several active Ferruginous Hawk nests and was impressed by their size differences and the variation in elevations of the nests from the ground. Each of these nests was photographed in southwest Montana in June of this year.
Northern Harriers are occasionally known to play but it’s something I’ve seldom seen. Harriers are normally all business as they pursue simple survival in a harsh and unforgiving world but a week ago today I watched and photographed as one of these hawks had some apparent “fun”.
When Northern Harriers choose to hunt along the edges of the dirt roads I frequent they sometimes give me interesting looks as they pass by. This is one of them.
I sometimes see hawks buried so deeply in trees that I can’t help but wonder how they’re going to fly out without injury or at least feather damage. They occasionally appear to “think” about their escape route just before take-off, which implies “planning”. Some images I took yesterday brought the question to mind once again – are hawks capable of “planning”?
Like most bird photographers I find American Kestrels to be a very difficult subject, largely because they’re so difficult to approach. But occasionally, under the right conditions, one can find a calm and cooperative bird. This female exceeded all expectations.
It was one of those classic frosty mornings at the bay where everything was covered with the thick hoar-frost that I tend to love in my settings.
Ferruginous Hawks are our largest and most powerful buteo but they’re also secretive, wary of humans and often roost on the ground so they can be difficult to locate.
Nothing serious this morning – just a couple of interesting and slightly amusing observations.
Last month we ventured out into the west desert in an attempt to locate and photograph buteos and Golden Eagles. With the exception of one adult Red-tailed Hawk and a (mostly uncooperative) Golden Eagle who let us get close it was largely a frustrating morning.
The red-tail was perched in a tree that was swaying in the wind and it was quite entertaining to watch it rockin’ and rollin’ as it attempted to remain stable on its unstable perch.
