![\"Northern](\"http:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/northern-harrier-8826.jpg\" "\\"Northern")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0The calm before the storm<\/em><\/p>\n I didn’t see harriers make this Mallard kill but it was still fresh when I came across this bird on the duck.\u00a0 At first I though I’d simply be photographing\u00a0the harrier\u00a0calmly enjoying\u00a0its meal but I was very mistaken.<\/p>\n \u00a0 Thinking about challenging the larger bird for the meal<\/em><\/p>\n It didn’t take long for other birds to challenge her for the Mallard.\u00a0 Some were timid about it at first, like this smaller harrier that walked up slowly behind her and just watched for a while.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0More competitors for the duck<\/em><\/p>\n But soon other birds became much more aggressive in competing for the Mallard.\u00a0 This harrier came in with a real chip on\u00a0its shoulder.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0The fight begins<\/em><\/p>\n And then all hell broke loose.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0Three harriers in the mix<\/em><\/p>\n At times there were three or even four harriers fighting over the duck.\u00a0 I was fairly close to them and usually couldn’t get all the action into the frame with that many birds.\u00a0 I’ve included this shot even though\u00a0there’s not a head or eye to be seen in the\u00a0image\u00a0because it depicts\u00a0just how furious the action could be with multiple birds (and because I didn’t clip any body parts…).<\/p>\n Harriers are very, very fast – blindingly so.\u00a0 The talons would strike out at an adversary so\u00a0quickly that often I wasn’t even aware it had happened until I processed the images on my computer.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0Striking out at a challenger<\/em><\/p>\n In this shot the talons of the harrier on the right have actually embedded in the chest wall of the other bird.\u00a0 What’s left of the Mallard is under the tail of the adult.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0More embedded talons<\/em><\/p>\n And here, talons have struck their mark again.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0<\/em>Another challenger coming in<\/em><\/p>\n Whenever a more dominant bird was able to drive off its competitors it wouldn’t take but a few seconds before another harrier would come in to challenge the bird on the duck.\u00a0 Fast and furious action!<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0A headless ballet<\/em><\/p>\n No heads or eyes visible here but I still liked the complementary poses and the\u00a0dynamics of the image.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0Talons striking out again<\/em><\/p>\n This is one of my favorite photos from the encounter.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0<\/em>Interesting body language<\/em><\/p>\n I wish I knew the behavioral significance of these postures.\u00a0 I observed it several times.\u00a0 The birds would be battling away furiously and then hold these postures calmly for several seconds.\u00a0 Then they’d go at it again.\u00a0 Fascinating.<\/p>\n You may have noticed the lack of adult males (the Grey Ghost)\u00a0in these images.\u00a0 There were several of them around the perimeter of the action but they never once seriously challenged the females and juveniles\u00a0over the Mallard.\u00a0 Since adult females are about 1\/3 heavier than the males (sexual dimorphism)\u00a0and research shows that the males lose virtually every aggressive interaction with females I suspect the males know not to tangle with them and figured that retreat was the better part of valor.<\/p>\n This was an encounter I will never forget.\u00a0 I spent several hours photographing the action and I was simply awed by what I witnessed.\u00a0 I just wish I had been a more experienced photographer when it occurred.\u00a0 If it ever happens in my presence again I hope to make fewer photographic mistakes.<\/p>\n My apologies to those with dial-up or slow internet connections as this is a large post but I felt that in order to tell the story well it would require a large number of images.\u00a0 I’d actually have liked to include even more of them…<\/p>\n Addendum on 1\/24\/11.\u00a0 Wouldn’t you know it?\u00a0 Two days after I made this blog post I saw something that contradicted what I said above.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0Kung-fu Harriers<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n