Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/10/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The Northern Harrier (Circus cyan's) is a hawk found in North America most often in open fields or marshes, where it hunts for mice and small birds by cruising barely above the tops of vegetation, and coming upon a tasty morsel drops suddenly onto the critter before it has time to react. I spotted a male Northern Harrier this morning in the Yolo Bypass wildlife area, apparently hunting for breakfast: http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/noharr03.html http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/noharr04.html Nearby a female Northern Harrier, larger than the male, and brown instead of gray, was feasting on the remains of an American Coot: http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/noharr05.html I don't know how the Coot came to be a meal, whether by Harrier or by other causes, but the male decided he wanted some too: http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/noharr06.html http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/noharr07.html but the tables quickly turned http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/noharr08.html and the male Harrier, overpowered by the bigger female, flew a short distance away to wait while SWMBO had her fill: http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/noharr09.html http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/noharr10.html http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/noharr11.html All photos: R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 Novoflex/Telyt, most with monopod and several cropped considerably. All comments welcome. Doug Herr Birdman of Sacramento http://www.wildlightphoto.com