northern harrier

observation date - 2020-feb-17

species - northern harrier

location - stanford dish trail, palo alto, california, usa

account details - sunny, 20 C, 16:00

the stanford dish trail is an interesting place for raptor sighting. the walking path is a loop around a mix of open brush and dense vegetation, with a reasonable amount of elevation. with a keen eye, you're likely to spot white-tailed kites, red-tailed hawks, american kestrels and of course northern harriers!

given the northern harrier is north america's only harrier, my wife and i both were intrigued by this mysterious raptor. we managed to get maybe a half dozen sightings prior to this particular sighting, but were still lacking that photogenic moment we knew existed. unlike other raptors, the harrier has a very bouyant, low-to-the-ground hunting style. they fly close enough you feel like you can reach out and touch them, yet are agile enough they are out of sight in a split second.

this male was in search of a sunset meal and was frequently passing by the hill roll-offs in hopes of nabbing dinner. we were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time for several of these fly-bys.

and of course even luckier when he nabbed a tiny western fence lizard for a snack and decided to land not 50 ft away to devour his meal.