Northern Harrier in Flight over Farmington Bay
I spent a little bit of time yesterday morning photographing a few birds including this Northern Harrier in flight over Farmington Bay WMA.
Frost Covered Juvenile Northern Harrier at Farmington Bay
It isn't unusual to see birds like this frost covered juvenile Northern Harrier at Farmington Bay WMA, Utah early in the morning before the sun rises and warms them up.
Juvenile Northern Harrier in flight over Farmington Bay
I was able to take a few frames of this juvenile Northern Harrier in flight as it flew over some open water.
Juvenile Northern Harrier perched on a post
I photographed this juvenile Northern Harrier as it perched on a post near Goose Egg Island at Farmington Bay.
A Few Birds From Yesterday At Farmington Bay
The light was beautiful yesterday morning at Farmington Bay WMA and I was able to photograph a few species if birds including this juvenile Northern Harrier flying over the marsh.
Hovering Harrier – Head Down and Eyes on the Ground
I photographed this hovering Northern Harrier several years ago at Farmington Bay Water Fowl Management Area as it scanned the ground below for prey.
Morning Spent at a Burrowing Owl Burrow
Last week I posted an image of Burrowing Owl siblings that I found in northern Utah and today I am posting images of that burrow after spending yesterday morning being delighted by them once more.
A Gray Ghost on a Gray Day
Three years ago on a very gray morning I photographed this male Northern Harrier; the Gray Ghost, in flight along the causeway to Antelope Island State Park.
Northern Harriers On The Wing
Male Northern Harriers, also called Gray Ghosts, are especially delightful to my eye when their plumage contrasts with soft bluebird skies that have just a touch of habitat in them
Northern Harrier searching for prey along the Antelope Island Causeway
Three days ago I had fun photographing a Northern Harrier searching for prey along the Antelope Island Causeway
A few winter birds at Farmington Bay and flapping wings
Maybe when the weather clears tomorrow I'll be able to get back out Farmington Bay to photograph more birds.
Eye Level Northern Harrier
I love to photograph birds in flight and it doesn't matter which species it is. But I do thoroughly enjoy photographing raptors like this Northern Harrier as they fly by.
Immature Northern Harrier On The Wing
So I missed out on seeing the Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles and American Kestrels at Farmington Bay WMA this morning but decided to post an older image of an immature Northern Harrier on the wing.
Juvenile Northern Harrier in flight
Northern Harriers are year round residents in Utah and I am encouraged by the numbers of them I have seen lately at Farmington Bay WMA.
Photobombed by a bird and a bug
When taking any photograph it is possible to be photobombed and I have had my share of those including these two bird images.
Northern Harrier along the shore of the Great Salt Lake
Two years ago I could often find Northern Harriers hunting along the causeway to Antelope Island State Park and I photographed a series of images of this female Northern Harrier on February 16th of that year.
Resting Northern Harrier
Farmington Bay Waterfowl Area used to be my "go to" place for photographing Northern Harriers but this winter they are hard to find.
Juvenile Female Northern Harrier – The Eyes Have It
Eye color can be used to sex juvenile Northern Harriers, brown for juvenile females and yellowish for the males and this harrier is a definite brown-eyed beauty.
Female Northern Harrier in flight
Typically I see far more Northern Harriers in the winter here in Utah than I do during the breeding season which might be partly due to the harriers preferring to nest within marshy wetland areas which are in abundance around the Great Salt Lake.
Northern Harrier chasing a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk
This image of a Northern Harrier and a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk in an aerial dogfight over Antelope Island State Park was taken the day before the recent snow storm started that we had here in the Salt Lake Valley over the weekend.
Northern Harrier in flight
Just an image I took yesterday of this male Northern Harrier in flight. As simple as the image is I like the great eye contact it has.
Northern Harrier
This Northern Harrier displayed interesting behavior, it didn't appear to be hunting but it would dive into the vegetation where it would make a sound that reminded me of parrots chattering.
Taking a look back on a few previous Autumn Birds
Photographing birds during Autumn is a wonderful time for me in Utah, the beautiful fall colors delight and enthrall me, the air gets nippy and I find myself feeling a surge of energy whenever I am outdoors.
Northern Harrier in Low Light
I don't mind the motion blur in these images and because northern harriers hunt by looking down at the ground for their prey I was very happy to get eye contact in both frames.
Nesting Northern Harrier
Tt was the first time that I have ever seen a Northern Harrier building a nest. It more than made my day!
Northern Harrier Wingtip Repair
There are times when I think an image might be worth a little extra work in post processing and this young male Northern Harrier image seemed worth the effort to repair a clipped wingtip.
Northern Harrier – Gray Ghost
I will have more opportunities with northern harriers in better light this winter and while I wouldn't consider this image perfect, I am happy with the results I obtained while photographing this "Gray Ghost".