Northern Harrier Flight #5

The Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus), also known as Hen Harrier and Marsh Hawk, is one of 34 species of raptors found in North America. Northern... more

by Morris Finkelstein

Title

Northern Harrier Flight #5

Artist

Morris Finkelstein

Medium

Photograph

Description

The Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus), also known as "Hen Harrier" and "Marsh Hawk", is one of 34 species of raptors found in North America. Northern Harriers are usually seen hunting low over fields and marshes for mammals and small birds. Their owl-like facial disc and while rump is distinctive. The juvenile Northern Harrier has orange streaks and plumage on its underside and wings, while the adult female bird has brown streaks on a white background; the male bird is mostly gray above and white below, with a gray breast, and is often called the "Gray Ghost". The adult Northern Harrier has a length of about 18 inches and a weight of about 15 ounces. They typically hunt, relying on their excellent hearing, in low flight over fields for small mammals, songbirds, and shorebirds.

This Northern Harrier flying over wetlands while hunting, was photographed in the late afternoon at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, in West Alton, Missouri on 11-7-2019. I used a Nikon D850 camera body and a Nikon 500mm f/4.0E FL ED VR lens to capture this image. Settings: 1/2500 sec, f/6.3, ISO 500. This 3,700 acre wildlife sanctuary located on the Mississippi River watershed is managed jointly by the Audubon Center at Riverlands and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

I am honored that my photograph was featured in the Fine Art America groups:
USA Photographers Only, 12-1-2019
Pure Nature Photography, 12-2-2019
FAA Portraits - Birds, 12-2-2019
FAA Portraits, 12-2-2019
Images That Excite You, 12-8-2019
A Birding Group - Wings, 12-11-2019
Animal Photographs, 12-11-2019
10 Plus, 12-14-2019
Art District, 12-14-2019
Midwest America Photography, 12-15-2019
Wildlife One-A-Day, 12-18-2019
Photography And Nature 101, 1-16-2020
Nikon Full Frame Cameras, 3-25-2020, 12-5-2019
Wonder Of Wings, 1-20-2022
Poetic Poultry, 1-24-2022

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Uploaded

November 29th, 2019