One of my Harrier Hawks

[peternap]

I'd never seen one before I bought our farm but one day I spotted a fair sized bird that was hovering over the grass like a giant humming bird. I looked a little closer and saw it was a Hawk. I looked i up and found it was a Harrier Hawk.

I had never been able to get a picture, but I did get one on one of the Game Cameras last week over the remains of one of my Deer kills. I wish he would have hovered some for the camera.

http://vimeo.com/34454955

[Woodsrule]

Pete,

We too have a harrier hawk on our property, but all efforts at photographing her have met with negative results. She is a beauty and it took me two years to positively identify her. We live in Rhode Island, so I guess they live in a wide area.

[peternap]

Pete,

We too have a harrier hawk on our property, but all efforts at photographing her have met with negative results. She is a beauty and it took me two years to positively identify her. We live in Rhode Island, so I guess they live in a wide area.

They are frustrating to photograph.
From what I've read, they are kind of rare in North America. I hadn't ever seen one before.

[rick91351]

I see a few here in Idaho.  However winter time over in Oregon's Baker Valley, and the Grand Rounde Valley as well, will yield a huge amount of all types of raptor sightings.  However as of late, I have seen an abundance of Harrier Hawks there, mostly in the Baker Valley.  That is showing a little outside the area of year around residency, more into the summer nesting zone.  They most likely have not read the most definitive book on birding for western North America: The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America or so I would guess.       

[MountainDon]

I guess this is where the aircraft got it's name

[peternap]

According to Wikipedia, it is Don.
I didn't see this one fly and they do look a lot like a Redtail. There is some discussion about which one this hawk is.

[rick91351]

According to Wikipedia, it is Don.
I didn't see this one fly and they do look a lot like a Redtail. There is some discussion about which one this hawk is.

Well looking at your bird again, and getting out my bird books which are NOT for the east coast.  I would get a set for there if  I were to visit for a longer time than plane - airport - plane.  Plane to the auto and to hotel and then in reverse. 

So my east coast birding is like null.  But harriers are smaller than that bird judging from the buzzard / vulture.  Harriers are smooth legged this one is rough.  I would think it might be a juvey Redtail again by size.  Might be a Krider's Red-tailed or one of the other Red-tailed family.  The Harriers I have IDed are smaller, hunt low to the ground and are very noisy trying to flush their prey.  They will take carrion as a free meal as will almost any of the hawks / eagles.   Very interesting though........       

[peternap]

Well looking at your bird again, and getting out my bird books which are NOT for the east coast.  I would get a set for there if  I were to visit for a longer time than plane - airport - plane.  Plane to the auto and to hotel and then in reverse. 

So my east coast birding is like null.  But harriers are smaller than that bird judging from the buzzard / vulture.  Harriers are smooth legged this one is rough.  I would think it might be a juvey Redtail again by size.  Might be a Krider's Red-tailed or one of the other Red-tailed family.  The Harriers I have IDed are smaller, hunt low to the ground and are very noisy trying to flush their prey.  They will take carrion as a free meal as will almost any of the hawks / eagles.   Very interesting though........     

It's hard for me to tell Rick.
I do have Harriers and they look a lot like this but I didn't see this one in person an the only real way I can tell the Harriers is from that hummingbird hover they do.