Susan Kirby

It is thrilling to walk near grasslands and see northern harriers (Circus hudsonius) swooping low above the grass looking for prey. I find them very difficult to photograph, but that is secondary to the excitement I feel when I watch these birds. These long-tailed hawks glide low, looking for small mammals like mice and voles. The male, also called a “gray ghost,” is gray and white, smaller than the brown female.