Northern Harrier - a first for me.

Northern harrier hawk flying over Red Deer, Alberta wetlands.  August 10, 2024.

A female northern harrier (above) was flying above Slack's Slough in Red Deer.  I was there photographing shorebirds and anything else that caught my eye.  Although I didn't get any shorebird photos that day, I did manage to photograph the harrier and an eared grebe and chick.  Both were first-time captures for me.

I thought at first it might be a Harris hawk, but the white patch on the rump soon changed my opinion.  Northern harriers can be found throughout the continent, but are often associated with marshy areas.  They are unusual in that they nest on the ground instead of in a tree as most birds of prey do.  

Males are gray above with whitish under feathering while females (and juveniles) are brown above with reddish underpinnings.  I saw the female gliding over the marsh, obviously searching for its next meal.  It suddenly dropped from the sky and disappeared behind a bank of cattails.  

Thanks for reading.  

Eric Svendsen.     www.ericspix.com