Just a short post today. I’ve had a lot on my plate recently.
1/1200, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This is an older shot of a Northern Harrier at Farmington Bay I’ve never posted before. It was taken on a frigid January afternoon which is unusual for me because I much prefer to photograph birds in the early morning.
I like the tilt of the bird’s entire body toward me, the raised right wing and the eye contact emphasized by the turn of the head in my direction. The tilted angle of the bird’s body and the raised wing made a big difference in allowing me to get light on many of the ventral surfaces with the sun relatively high in the sky.
The out-of-focus, frost and snow-covered phrags at the bottom of the background combined with the pale blue winter sky up top bring back many memories of freezing my patootie off at Farmington while photographing Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles and Barn Owls.
I know I’ve posted a lot of harrier photos over the years but I do love them, as evidenced by the vanity plate on my pickup and the graphic at the top of my blog. I’ve always kind of thought of harriers as my own personal mascot.
So this one is unlikely to be the last.
Ron
Great shot which showcases the eyes and facial disk! This week I watched as one passed methodically back and forth over a wet prairie, covering much of the area as if it has internal GPS guidance.
A beautiful photo of this Harrier. I can’t believe that Harriers average length is 18.1″ to 19.7″, their wingspan is 42″ on average and their weight is 10.6 to 26.5 oz. These are amazing numbers. You wonder how the body weight can support such long wings, but that is the miracle of nature, I guess.
Ron, thanks for the great posting. Hope things improve on your front!
Thanks, Alice. Sibley lists harrier weight as 15oz. That must be an average of the numbers you provide which makes sense I guess, partly because males are smaller.
Another great harrier shot….I say the more the merrier..one can’t get enough Northern Harrier shots (IMHO)..a truly magnificent bird !! Thanks Ron
I feel the same way about harriers, Steve. Thanks.
Gorgeous Harrier! And the light play makes this shot extra special. You can go ahead and post all the Harriers you wish (or whatever else you fancy)!
Hope things calm down a little for you. I was hoping that 2019 would be an easier/smoother year than 2018.
Thank you, Marty. So was I.
This is an absolute beauty.
I hope your plate empties quickly (and cleanly) soon.
Fingers crossed, EC. Thanks.
Stunning
Thanks, Janice.
You can post all the Northern Harriers you wish and I will be happy to very much appreciate each one of them.
On the off chance that you haven’t got one, have you looked at the electric car seat warmers? Or perhaps a frozen patootie is part of the artistic process😊
I haven’t really checked into them, Lyle. Perhaps I should – thanks for the idea.
Wow, Ron – I not only LOVE this photo but looking at it, I feel like I’m looking at a Watercolor painting rather than a photo! Very special!! As for you, Big Guy – I hope some of those multiple things on your plate come off & give you a break!!
I hope so too, Jo Ann. Thanks.
Beautiful photo, Ron. 🙂 The “pose”, colors, and background all come together! 🙂 The Northern Harrier is an amazing bird……….
Thank you, Judy.
Love the intense look in that eye. It is almost always all business for raptors when they are soaring along looking for prey. Especially love the low flying Harriers – definitely one of my all-time favorites. Drinking my early morning coffee and not 100% yet, I misread your ending as saying, likely to be my last. I was momentarily crushed wondering what the hell was Ron saying – the great Harrier fan is saying this will be his last? Then of course I relaxed as I re-read it. In fact I would suggest that if you ever retire from your blog, your very last post should of course be a Northern Harrier. Beautiful photo.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
“I would suggest that if you ever retire from your blog, your very last post should of course be a Northern Harrier”
I’ll keep that in mind, Everett, it does seem like it would be appropriate. Thank you.
Beautiful bird. The harrier is so special. The mantle of feathers surrounding it’s sets it off so well; the fact that man and female being ‘colored’ differently adds to it’s uniqueness. Once you watch them hunt for their prey you are amazed with their skill. Raptors have it all in my mind. Just looking at the complexity you see with the colors and patterns in the wings, the intensity in the eyes, the brow ridge, there is so much more…and then looking at the harrier you see all that wrapped up in such a sleek package!
Sleek package indeed – a 43′ wingspan but they weigh less than a pound. They just seem to float on the air. Thanks, Kathy.
Gorgeous. The tilt of the head makes me think you are the prey. 🙂
Ha, maybe that was the intention, Arwen. Thanks.