This series of three shots show the way Harriers transfer prey from male to female when she is sitting at the nest. He calls as he comes in and she comes bursting up out of the tall grasses to meet him. The timing of the handoff and the aerobatic show is incredible. In the last picture you can see her looking back over her shoulder at the male in some kind of acknowledgement, then she flies off to feed and have a brief exercise flight before she returns to the nest, usually bringing in more grasses as she keeps adding to the construction of it.
I did not feel any of these photos were all that good but thought taken together they would be interesting to people on the forum. I asked Nate for permission to post them as a series of three and that conversation is what led to the creation of this new forum by Jim.
So even if the photos are not spectacular they now have historical significance.
I am so glad this forum was created so we can see these interesting images! I have never seen the hand off like this in Harrier's and I think it is amazing!
I love seeing the behavior you have captured so well here Peter. In the countless hours I've spent photographing harriers this is something I've never witnessed, much less photographed - probably because it occurs only during nesting and they seldom nest where I shoot them. I'm used to the sexes fighting over food rather than sharing it.
Great to see the series, Peter. I only know of one other photographer who has this captured, and I don't think Ted's is quite as good as yours. This has to have involved incredible effort, and paid off very well.
In a very real sense this all came about because of NPN. I have watched Harriers from time to time all of my life and was totally unaware of this behavior. After making a Harrier post last year it was Jim Dewitt that asked me if I had ever observed it, and gave me a source to read more about the behavior. I watched last year at a nest site but the eggs were already hatched and so both parents were hunting and I never observed it. This year after being inspired by Ron Dudley's incredible series with the Harriers and the Duck carcass I was determined to find a nest site early and have a blind in position. That all worked out and I have a number of Harrier photos resulting from literally days spent observing them. I wish I had a better capture of this behavior but I don't, and the eggs were eaten and the Harriers have moved on. I still hope they try again in an area that I have access to.
Ron, I think you and I could collaborate on a Harrier Photo essay that would be incredible!
These images are great! I don't know how you composed all these shots so well the the harriers at intersecting thirds lines in all three shots. Great capture! I've seen a pair of white-tailed kites do a hand off before but I've never seen harriers do it, you are lucky to have captured it on camera.
Posted by Nate Chappell on June 10, 2009 at 12:14 AM
Neat stuff: very informative and good work documenting it.
I just noticed the forum is in operation and I'm glad it is her precisely for images and information like this.
Posted by Dennis Plank on June 18, 2009 at 12:43 AM
Great series, Peter. I know we have nesting harriers somewhere in the vicinity, but I've never come close to finding out where. After your series last year, I started looking for them, but no success thus far.
Posted by Johan Geyser on June 19, 2009 at 12:20 AM
Fantastic!
Where were these shots taken, Peter?
Posted by Peter Conway on June 19, 2009 at 9:02 AM
Johan,
I live in Southeastern Minnesota. We don't have a lot of grasslands but my neighbor has 80 acres in CRP that he seeded with prairie grasses and flowers. It's a beacon for wildlife, and an outstanding example of the need for habitat preservation. Ny area is a great example of the unintended consequences of Government actions. In an attempt to be "more green" the ethanol subsidy was enacted. The result was a huge run up in corn prices and farmers going back to the practice of fence line to fence line planting. The loss of habitat was enormous.
Posted by Peter Conway on June 19, 2009 at 9:06 AM
One more quick observation. The literature refers to voles as the primary prey for Harriers. This series shows a small bird as prey and I would say that over 50% of the time the returning male brought in a bird. I did see voles and also ground squirrels (streaky gophers locally) brought back.
Discussion
20 repliesI did not feel any of these photos were all that good but thought taken together they would be interesting to people on the forum. I asked Nate for permission to post them as a series of three and that conversation is what led to the creation of this new forum by Jim.
So even if the photos are not spectacular they now have historical significance.
Peter
I am so glad this forum was created so we can see these interesting images! I have never seen the hand off like this in Harrier's and I think it is amazing!
Ron, I think you and I could collaborate on a Harrier Photo essay that would be incredible!
I wouldn't take it that far.
I wouldn't take it that far.
I just noticed the forum is in operation and I'm glad it is her precisely for images and information like this.
Where were these shots taken, Peter?
I live in Southeastern Minnesota. We don't have a lot of grasslands but my neighbor has 80 acres in CRP that he seeded with prairie grasses and flowers. It's a beacon for wildlife, and an outstanding example of the need for habitat preservation. Ny area is a great example of the unintended consequences of Government actions. In an attempt to be "more green" the ethanol subsidy was enacted. The result was a huge run up in corn prices and farmers going back to the practice of fence line to fence line planting. The loss of habitat was enormous.