![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/northern-harrier-9044b-horizontal-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"northern-harrier-9044b-horizontal-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
The males are often called Gray Ghosts because of their striking plumage and spectral (ghostly) aura but I believe there’s another reason for that unusual moniker. Juvenile males look mostly like females until they develop adult plumage so to the casual observer most harriers appear to be females, making adult males seemingly more elusive and “ghostly”. Just my theory…<\/p>\n
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1\/2500, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Last night I stumbled upon a couple of 10 year old harrier photos I’ve never posted before and my reason for not posting them was a silly one – we can’t see the eye clearly. In my ignorance back then I thought a clear look at the eye was always<\/em> essential but since that time I’ve come to realize that with behavioral shots it isn’t always necessary. In fact it often isn’t.<\/p>\n I just happened to have this male in focus as he was hunting low in front of a stand of phragmites and cruising right along when he spotted a vole directly beneath him and performed one of their patented lightning-quick aerial twists to dive straight down on prey. When that happens I’m usually not quick enough to push the shutter button before the bird is out of frame (or I’ve lost focus on it) but this time I was. Or maybe I just happened to push the shutter at the beginning of the dive by chance. Ten years later I can’t remember how it happened but I’d say the latter is probably most likely. These twisting dives happen fast!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here’s a vertical composition of the same shot. If you have a preference for one version or the other I’d be interested in knowing which one. Personally I’m leaning toward the vertical but still undecided.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/3200, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n By the time my shutter fired again I was beginning to lose focus on the harrier so this shot isn’t quite as sharp but I think it’s interesting to compare the two flight postures. At this point he was trying to stop his forward momentum (to our left) so he could drop straight down on the vole and here he’s put the brakes on with his right wing and tail.<\/p>\n By the next shot I’d lost him so I didn’t save any more images in the series and I don’t remember if he caught the vole or not.<\/p>\n But I’m glad I found the photos again, good look at the eye or not.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/northern-harrier-9044b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"northern-harrier-9044b-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/northern-harrier-9045b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"northern-harrier-9045b-ron-dudley\\"")
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