gray ghost – Feathered Photography

Male Northern Harrier Perched And Taking Off

Talk about a last-minute opportunity. (2 photos)

Male Northern Harrier Flying Fast

Including some mystery “blobs”.

Male Northern Harrier Looking Back At Me While Banking

A flight posture I rarely get with a raptor in flight, especially when the raptor is a ‘Gray Ghost’.

Male Northern Harrier Hunting Low And Slow

The light colors of the ‘Gray Ghost’ are a huge advantage to the photographer with flight shots in low light.

Male Northern Harrier Flight Series

Strictly from a technical perspective this is my best ever Northern Harrier flight series.

Gray Ghost Struggling And Failing To Regain His Balance

Staying balanced on a small perch can be a challenge, even for a bird known for its agility like the Northern Harrier.

Male Northern Harrier Diving On Prey

The incredibly athletic twisting dives of Northern Harriers on prey are always impressive to witness (and difficult to photograph well) but when it’s an adult male, a “Gray Ghost”, for me at least it’s extra special.

Male Northern Harrier Trying To Flush A Vole From The Grass

When it comes to catching an uncooperative meal, whatever works.

Male Northern Harrier Stomping On A Vole

And in this context I do mean stomping. First a brief explanation of the behavior, one I’ve seen multiple times with this species but have only rarely been able to photograph.