The cover theme of this photo diary is Harrier hawk hunting action, but the underlying theme is about context. Details are great, but if we get too hung up on details we overlook the whole. So a portion of this sequence of photos will be dedicated to first examining the whole, before diving into a more detailed view.
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We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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FLINT HILLS of KANSAS...Falling into Winter
Today’s sequence is a marathon of views of a single hawk that transpired over a time period of about fifteen minutes and covered approximately 3/8 of a mile of Kansas’ Flint Hills prairie. However, the action was so intense those ten minutes felt a little bit like an eternity. The setting for this particular photo session is about 5 miles from my home. Many, if not most, of the photos you are about to see are not perfect in technical merit, but I believe the context of the action and setting more than make up for that. As the action occurred there was no such thing as perfect focus, What you see is what I saw. What I saw was, in context and detail, unforgettable.
Harriers breed in the north, primarily the Northern states in the U.S. up through Canada to the lower areas of the Arctic. They migrate south to spend the winter months, and are seen year round in the states from the U.S./Canadian border to the central states, like Kansas. My experience in Kansas is the Harriers that live in this area migrate north in the spring and return in the fall. The same applies to Rough Legged hawks and Bald Eagles. Swainsons come in the spring for a somewhat lengthy visit, but return in the fall on their way to South America.
The star of this show is an immature male Harrier hawk hunting for another meal in it’s struggle to survive. I happened on the scene and witnessed a relentless execution of amazing flying maneuvers, including a lot of hovering in position to stoop. The stoops happened in staccato repetition. I eased my way into the pasture he was working. Although the bird knew full well I was there it went about it’s business as if I were a tree stump surrounded by very tall stalks of grass.
Let’s start with some context.
This is kind of a special photo. It looks like a frame snipped out of a super hero comic book. It’s a rare event to have a bird come this close, but even rarer to have it come while in the midst of such a maneuver with the leading wingtip extended, the opposite wing trailing, body contorted sideways, with the tail vertical. I’m convinced he believes he has spotted something very promising.
Could this be the day I finally get those elusive ‘money shots’ of a Harrier making the kill and showing us a clear pic of the prize?
Good lord, it’s coming right at us….sure hope there isn’t a rat crawling across my lap!
All the excitement about getting a kill shot and feast drains, but I’m not disappointed in the least. It feels like I got a whole collection of money shots. What a WONDERFUL experience this bird shared. Hope you were somehow able to join in on the feel of this Harrier sequence. It ended the way most hunts do, with a trip to a different location to try again. But I know I’ll never forget this effort. After all, it’s a matter of context. Unless something spectacular happens this will be my last salvo on Harriers.
I’m just the warmup band. There are some great things coming up real soon in TGIF Sequence diaries, and I can hardly wait!
Luckily there will be no wait for what happens in our comment section. That’s usually the best Buckets have to offer. Make it happen, my friends!