“If we had great distant vision like a hawk, we could avoid most disasters altering our future.” -Unknown
When I am out photographing birds in the marshes of the Maryland Eastern Shore at this time of year, I am always keeping an eye out for Harriers gliding over fields and low brush. Harriers are expert birds of prey, and I am lucky to spot them hunting for mice and other small mammals.
Harriers are elusive. I sometimes see them as I drive along backroads flanked by open fields. When I spot them gliding high on the horizon, I carefully pull my car to the side and quickly grab my camera. Hopefully the bird will see something of interest near enough for me to acquire focus. They are distinctive in the way they swoop down and hover over a potential target before quickly grasping the prey with extremely sharp talons. Sometimes I see them resting on a low tree branch while continuing to scan for any movement in the bush.
I love to photograph these birds. When the light is right and the wind is to my back, I have the best chance of capturing a shot of a Harrier flying toward me. This is the best perspective to see their almost round faces and eyes that might divert from the hunt to give me a look. I imagine them thinking “I am the spirit of this marsh, and I know what I am about. Who are you?”
The species most prevalent in our area is the Northern Harrier and the photos in this essay show the brown and white plumage of adult females. The more elusive males are white and grey and have been called the “grey ghosts” of the marshlands. I have yet to see a male Harrier. In her book about bird names, Diana Wells notes that the Anglo-Saxon roots of the name “Harrier Hawk” recognized that these birds fly in circles looking for prey and “to harry” meant to lay waste. (100 Birds and How They Got Their Names, Diana Wells, 2002).
The Harriers are patient and completely in tune with their environment. When they act, they are focused and deliberate – a great model for the coming new year.
