To see a larger image of the above photo, click directly on the photo.
Note: The large signature/watermark on the image above is not on the final purchased image -- it is only on this page for copyright protection. Unauthorized use of this image is prohibited..
Northern Harrier with Lunch, Colorado
I had no sooner arrived at my friend’s house east of Colorado Springs, CO, and had just taken my camera out of the car, when I heard a scolding noise coming from above. I looked up and saw this female Northern Harrier being scolded by a Western King Bird. The reason was clear — the harrier had stolen one of the kingbird’s chicks and was making off with it. Poor kingbird — at least she managed to harass the harrier a whole lot.
“The Northern Harrier is distinctive from a long distance away: a slim, long-tailed hawk gliding low over a marsh or grassland, holding its wings in a V-shape and sporting a white patch at the base of its tail. Up close it has an owlish face that helps it hear mice and voles beneath the vegetation.” — Cornell Labs