Woohoo! I saw a Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)! I knew there was something different about this hawk. I saw her swooping down low over the winter fields, but I have to admit that I was unable to ID her until I got home. What a treat to watch her glide over the meadow at eye level!

It was this white patch on the bird’s rump that caught my attention, and helped me to realize that this was not a Red-tailed Hawk (they rule the area where I live). I also noticed that the flight pattern of skimming over the grass with only a few feet of clearance was a sight I don’t normally see.

Here’s another sight that I don’t usually see – a Northern Harrier with landing gear down, approaching the runway. This picture seems to promise something dramatic in the next few seconds, but not so. She never actually landed. She abruptly pulled up, changed course, and zoomed on down the field:

These pictures were taken in those last few rays of sunshine as the sun is slipping beneath the horizon. Such a magical hour…I should make it a point to be outside for sunsets more often.

I can’t end this post without commenting on the cool, owl-like facial feathers of the Northern Harrier. You can just make them out in this photo. Nature is so friggin’ smart – did you know that this arrangement of feathers enhances the raptor’s ability to hear? Add that to a raptor’s vision…and if you’re a field mouse…you better run!

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