Northern Harrier In Flight Along The Causeway

A few weeks ago I was able to photograph this Northern Harrier along the Antelope Island causeway.  I like both of these shots because of the good look at the topside of the bird.

 

northern harrier 8430 ron dudley

 1/2000. f/6.3. ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not set up, baited or called in

The background certainly isn’t “classic” by any means but it’s one found in very few places on the planet, which makes me appreciate it.  The lighter colors are Great Salt Lake beach sand and the strips of red are windrows of brine fly pupae cases that have been washed up by the waves into parallel rows.  And hey, their colors even go well with the bird (I know, I’m reaching for that one…)

 

 

northern harrier 8431 ron dudley

  1/2000. f/6.3. ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not set up, baited or called in

This was the next shot in the burst.  I prefer the second image because of the slightly better head turn toward the viewer, the more appealing catch light in the eye and the aerodynamic wing position that suggests speed.  But I’m glad to have them both because decent flight shots of harriers don’t come easy.

Ron

16 Comments

  1. Tana Hunter
    November 24, 2012 at 12:55 pm

    Beautiful shots of one of my favorite birds. The white base of the tail and the facial disk are well displayed. Thank you!

  2. Wally
    November 23, 2012 at 10:46 am

    Great captures, Ron! I almost didn’t publish the photo from last week’s refuge trip since the Harrier surprised me from behind (imagine that!). I fired off a couple of reflex shots but it was still a beautiful moment.

  3. Dave Sparks
    November 22, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    Ron:
    I will echo Bob Zeller’s reply.
    You wrote: “But I’m glad to have them both because decent flight shots of harriers don’t come easy.”
    My version: “Decent flight shots of harriers don’t come.”
    Dave

  4. Mike
    November 21, 2012 at 9:47 pm

    I like the way the pointed wings in the second shot illustrate why Harriers, aka “the Great Foolers”, are often mistaken for Falcons in flight. Wonderful pics and interesting tidbit about the brine fly casings too.

    • Ron Dudley
      November 22, 2012 at 5:06 am

      Mike, as a photographer I sometimes curse the white rump patch of the harrier because it’s so easy to overexpose but but it sure is handy for ID purposes. I hadn’t heard them referred to as “the Great Foolers”, but I can see why they’d be called that.

  5. Bob Zeller
    November 21, 2012 at 5:15 pm

    I really know that they don’t come easy. I am still working on my first. 🙂

  6. mavourneen s.
    November 21, 2012 at 11:08 am

    Great Shots Ron. They are always on the move, it’s difficult to photograph them most of the time.

  7. Mark Runnels
    November 20, 2012 at 11:09 pm

    I like Marsh Hawks. They are one of the few birds that aren’t afraid to tangle with a large falcon. That makes them a pain to hunt near, but they are fascinating birds. Their flight is so light an bouyant.

    The Mark Hawk is one of the few raptors that are sexually dimorphic with regards to color. This is an adult female. It would be interesting to compare this with similar shots of the blue/grey males.

    I know you pride yourself on the fact that your shots are not set up, but Marsh Hawks are easy to call within camera range. They have a dish shaped face for the same reason that an owl does; they hunt almost exclusivly by sound. If you get a small sqeak call like those used for coyote calling (I have even used a dog’s sqeak toy) they will fly right up on top of you looking for the “mouse”.

    Thanks for sharing your beautiful work.

    Mark

  8. Bryce Robinson
    November 20, 2012 at 9:07 pm

    Beautiful shots. Love the colors. I like the first photo, you get to see the definition in the wing. Well done again Ron.

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