Capturing The Northern Harrier Hunting

I have never had great luck with the northern harrier. I always seem to catch them in bad light or as they are leaving. A few days ago I talked about how the day can change in a heartbeat. As I was leaving Prophetstown I saw a harrier hunting and managed to make a few photos of it up close. It was not in the tall grass though, and that is the photo that I have always wanted. After a day that was not so great during my walk I saw three harriers hunting as I was leaving. This one was in the perfect spot for a photo so I made a quick one knowing that on a windy day the harrier could be gone in a heartbeat. It did leave, but I had the photo that I wanted.

Showing More Around The Bird

Earlier I had already made some very close pictures of the harrier. Here I wanted to show it among the grasses. One thing that I have been trying to improve on in my photography is giving a sense of place. That is a goal on the sports side as well as with my wildlife photography. You can post close photos all day long, but sometimes pulling back a little can give you a sense of place, and a photo that looks different than the others that you see.