Northern harriers return to the Pole Farm

I headed out to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm this morning, figuring I had a good chance of spotting some warblers. Even though I stretched my walk by about a mile longer than usual, I didn’t see or hear any fall migrants.

But on the way back to my car, I spotted a Northern harrier rising up over the big field to my right. To my delight, the bird flew closer and closer to me, arcing right to left.

I was able to fire several shots before it veered off to its right and headed toward the outer boundary of the park. The sun was out but was largely tucked behind the clouds when the harrier granted me the photo opp.

The photo topping the post is unusual for me in that it captures the upper body of the bird as it banks its turn. Most of my harrier shots are looking to their underside as they fly high above me. The more typical (and sharper) shot is below.

Over the next several months, I expect to see many harriers, often several on a single day. I’ll be lucky to get another extended fly-by like the one I got today. However the harriers present themselves, I’m always happy and grateful to see them. 🦅