{"id":2290,"date":"2011-05-07T13:09:33","date_gmt":"2011-05-07T19:09:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=2290"},"modified":"2025-10-02T16:06:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T21:06:11","slug":"nesting-northern-harrier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/05\/07\/nesting-northern-harrier\/","title":{"rendered":"Nesting Northern Harrier"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"NorthernNorthern Harrier with snow covered Wasatch Mountains in the background –\u00a0Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/2500, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited <\/span><\/p>\n

During the summers\u00a0where I live in\u00a0Utah\u00a0I don’t see as many Northern Harriers as\u00a0I do in the winter, primarily because\u00a0large numbers of \u00a0Northern Harriers winter in the valleys of Utah.<\/p>\n

I do see them flying over the marshes\u00a0where there are stands of phragmites and cattails during the spring and summer and range maps do show them as year round residents.<\/p>\n

Since my move to Utah I have wondered if Northern Harriers nested here in the marshes\u00a0and I finally have my answer. They do.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had even asked a friend about it but he wasn’t sure that harriers nested here but\u00a0I am always an optimist, I expect to see the unexpected\u00a0concerning birds\u00a0because it has happened many times to me. I hoped that one day I might find a harrier nest.<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Northern Harrier in flight with nesting material – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited <\/span><\/p>\n

During the last week of April while out looking for birds to photograph in a marshy location I spotted a Northern Harrier circling in the sky, I hoped that it would come closer so I got my settings ready on my camera and aimed my lens towards the bird. When I focused on the harrier through the viewfinder I was excited to see that the female harrier had a twig in\u00a0her bill, a very good sign that I was seeing and photographing a nesting Northern Harrier.<\/p>\n

\"NorthernNorthern Harrier female circling with nesting material – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited <\/span><\/p>\n

The female harrier was flying in wide circling loops in the air moving closer with each circle. At times the mountains and sky showed as a backdrop in my viewfinder. Her flight seemed unhurried and her grip on the twig was good.<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Northern Harrier making approach to the nest – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

The harrier turned towards the vehicle (used as a mobile blind) and started to descend, at that point I began to wonder if the nest was nearby, I hoped that it was. I was not disappointed.<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Northern Harrier slowing down above the nest – Nikon D200, f6.3, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

I remember holding my breath as the harrier flew closer and closer and quickly recognized that\u00a0her wing position indicated that she was about to land.<\/p>\n

I pressed my shutter button slowly because I didn’t want to have my buffer fill and\u00a0cause me to miss the shots I wanted of the harrier landing. (I’ve missed some great shots that way and I’m trying very hard not to do it again!)<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Northern Harrier hovering with nesting material – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

The female harrier hovered briefly, her legs moved slightly forward, her tail fanned out\u00a0and she seemed focused on a particular spot in the dried vegetation that had been bent over by the heavy snow\u00a0from this past winter.<\/p>\n

Looking at the similar hues of tans and browns of both the bird and the vegetation makes me realize how easily the female harriers\u00a0must blend into the habitat.<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Northern Harrier touching down –\u00a0<\/span>Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited <\/span><\/p>\n

Having spotted the exact location she wanted to land the hen harrier extended her feet and appeared to grasp the dried vegetation with her talons, never taking her eyes off of where she wanted to land. By the way; the little black specks you see in the images with the dried vegetation are midges. There are often swarms of thousands of them near marshes here. I’m sure a lot of people mistake them for mosquitoes but thankfully they don’t bite like mosquitoes do. They don’t buzz like mosquitoes either. Soon enough though the mosquitoes will appear, yuck!<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Northern Harrier in the nest – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited <\/span><\/p>\n

Very soon after the image above was taken the hen harrier disappeared from sight, even after waiting about 20 minutes she didn’t reappear. I can only imagine that she was adjusting the nesting material she brought in or perhaps taking a break from locating more nesting materials.<\/p>\n

I was more than\u00a0excited to have witnessed and photographed the female harrier bringing in that twig,\u00a0it was\u00a0the\u00a0first time\u00a0that I have ever seen a\u00a0harrier building\u00a0a nest. It more than made my day! Who knows… in a couple of weeks I may be able to photograph Northern Harrier<\/span><\/a> chicks too.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to view more of my Northern Harrier photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tt was the first time that I have ever seen a Northern Harrier building a nest. It more than made my day!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,27,1148,1022,697,348,26],"tags":[4004,2663,765,4070,4052,2783,3164,4033,4169,786,4174,4123,4094,767,610,4075,3976,4182,4006,4095],"class_list":["post-2290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-northern-harriers","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-circus-hudsonius","tag-female","tag-flight","tag-harrier","tag-harriers","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-hen-harrier","tag-hovering-2","tag-landing","tag-marsh","tag-marsh-hawk","tag-marshes","tag-nest","tag-nesting","tag-nesting-material","tag-northern-harrier","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/northern-harrier-female-nesting-material-landing-mia-mcpherson-2112.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-AW","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6782,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/12\/13\/female-northern-harrier-in-flight\/","url_meta":{"origin":2290,"position":0},"title":"Female Northern Harrier in flight","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 13, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Northern Harrier in flight over the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/northern-harrier-female-mia-mcpherson-1446.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/northern-harrier-female-mia-mcpherson-1446.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/northern-harrier-female-mia-mcpherson-1446.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/northern-harrier-female-mia-mcpherson-1446.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61001,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/10\/25\/reasons-why-we-may-be-seeing-fewer-northern-harriers-at-farmington-bay\/","url_meta":{"origin":2290,"position":1},"title":"Reasons Why We May Be Seeing Fewer Northern Harriers At Farmington Bay","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I don't see nearly as many harriers over the marshes at Farmington Bay as I used to five to ten years ago but the marshes have changed some since I moved to northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Northern Harrier hovering while on the hunt, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/northern-harrier-hovering-mia-mcpherson-3217.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/northern-harrier-hovering-mia-mcpherson-3217.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/northern-harrier-hovering-mia-mcpherson-3217.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/northern-harrier-hovering-mia-mcpherson-3217.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":119554,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/01\/07\/northern-harrier-my-first-raptor-of-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":2290,"position":2},"title":"Northern Harrier – My First Raptor of 2024","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The first raptor I photographed in 2024 was this young male Northern Harrier that I found near the refuge auto tour loop at Bear River MBR on New Year's Day.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young male Northern Harrier on the wing, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/northern-harrier-immature-male-mia-mcpherson-1071.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/northern-harrier-immature-male-mia-mcpherson-1071.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/northern-harrier-immature-male-mia-mcpherson-1071.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/northern-harrier-immature-male-mia-mcpherson-1071.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13087,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/01\/10\/a-resting-northern-harrier\/","url_meta":{"origin":2290,"position":3},"title":"Resting Northern Harrier","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 10, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Farmington Bay Waterfowl Area used to be my \"go to\" place for photographing Northern Harriers but this winter they are hard to find.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Perched Northern Harrier at Farmington Bay in northern Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/northern-harrier-perched-mia-mcpherson-0099.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/northern-harrier-perched-mia-mcpherson-0099.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/northern-harrier-perched-mia-mcpherson-0099.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8239,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/04\/29\/northern-harriers-in-flight\/","url_meta":{"origin":2290,"position":4},"title":"Northern Harriers In Flight","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 29, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Northern Harriers fascinate me partly because they are sexually dimorphic; meaning that the males and females look different even though they are the same species, and also because of their owl-like facial discs.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Northern Harrier flying near the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/northern-harrier-flying-mia-mcpherson-9971.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/northern-harrier-flying-mia-mcpherson-9971.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/northern-harrier-flying-mia-mcpherson-9971.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/northern-harrier-flying-mia-mcpherson-9971.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20298,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/02\/20\/northern-harriers-on-the-wing\/","url_meta":{"origin":2290,"position":5},"title":"Northern Harriers On The Wing","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 20, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"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","rel":"","context":"In "Davis County"","block_context":{"text":"Davis County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Northern Harrier with the Wasatch Range in the background, photographed from Farmington Bay, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/northern-harrier-flight-mia-mcpherson-0622.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/northern-harrier-flight-mia-mcpherson-0622.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/northern-harrier-flight-mia-mcpherson-0622.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/northern-harrier-flight-mia-mcpherson-0622.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2290\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/158941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}