Sometimes getting a meal is easier than others. Normally you will find Northern Harriers patrolling drainages, listening and watching for some unsuspecting rodent to make a meal of. They will then acrobatically drop to the ground trying to nab the critter. This is often not successful and takes multiple attempts.

It is little wonder that this male harrier opted for a much easier target, a dead rabbit alongside a remote rural road. I spotted him circling the area so set myself up a ways away, and waited. Sure enough, he flew in for a quick bite and in doing so, gave me this fun shot.

Harriers are never easy to photograph and the males, the gray ghosts as they are nicknamed, are even harder. This image gives a nice look at that beautiful white and gray plumage and those piercing yellow eyes.

Just a pretty lady against a beautiful, blue Colorado sky. I almost missed her as I was focused in the opposite direction watching some eagles. I spotted her out of the corner of my eye and quickly swung around, grabbing a sequence of her as she flew by.

These are really cool hawks but not easy to photograph due to them usually flying just above ground level making it hard to get a lock on them. Their owl-like face with stiff feathers forming a ring around their head helping to direct sound to their ears, allowing them to hunt by hearing as well as sight.

You will oftentimes find them in open land, particularly near drainages, flying low and fast with their heads down as they look and listen for prey.

While these cool hawks are in Colorado throughout the year, it is during the colder months that I most often see them. This beautiful female was hunting a field this past weekend and gave me some nice shots as she flew by.

These raptors are pretty cool with an owl-like face with stiff feathers forming a ring around their head helping to direct sound to their ears, allowing them to hunt by hearing as well as sight. You will oftentimes find them in open land, particularly near drainages, flying low and fast with their heads down as they look and listen for prey.

I haven’t done too well in recent months getting pics of these elusive, hard to capture raptors. Last weekend, one finally cooperated.

Northern harriers are quite common here in the winter but their low flying erratic flights make them difficult subjects. For whatever reason, the males (aka the gray ghost) are elusive and not as often willing to stray close to people.

This particular one was hunting a drainage along the road. I positioned myself well ahead of it, hoping it would continue on its path and give me some shots and indeed it deed. I just love that gorgeous gray and white plumage and of course there are those brilliant yellow eyes.

I’m not sure if this pretty female northern harrier was annoyed with the snow or me taking her picture while sitting in it. Well, I reckon given the reaction I get from critters, we can guess it was me. 😉

Taken last month, I spotted her as she sat in a field in Longmont, Colorado. She really didn’t mind me at all and let me grab quite a bunch of pictures of her hanging out before taking flight away from the camera.

A quick capture from a fleeting sighting of this hawk this past weekend. Driving along, I spotted it as it hunted along the shores of a pond. I quickly raced ahead, hoping to it as it flew directly by. Of course, it had other plans and flipped a u-turn at which point I grabbed this shot as it departed.

My photo excursion Saturday was not as eventful as I would have hoped but I did get some decent captures of these cool hawks allowing me a chance to showcase the difference between the two genders of the species.

Male northern harriers are oftentimes called the “gray ghost” due to their gray plumage and piercing yellow eyes. The coloring of females is entirely different with brown plumage and while not as striking as the males, they are beautiful in their own right.

They both have an owl-like face with stiff feathers forming a ring around their head helping to direct sound to their ears, allowing them to hunt by hearing as well as sight. You will oftentimes find them in open land, particularly near drainages, flying low and fast with their heads down as they look and listen for prey.

Harriers are very difficult to photograph due to their low flight path and erratic patterns but also very fun to watch.