Here is a female northern harrier (Circus cyaneus) looking for dinner. Like other raptors, their beaks are hooked and they have strong legs and sharp talons. Members of this bird family, Accipitridae, have eyesight that is four to eight times better than that of humans. Notice how the long, narrow outer primary feathers on the wing to the right separate into “fingers.” These “fingers” allow birds to fly at lower speeds without stalling.
By coincidence my posts for the rest of this week are all about birds. Check in for more shots of feathered friends.
A magnificent photo, Kay. Your narrative gives the photo even more interest. Am looking forward to the future photos you have planned.
Don’t get too excited, Kate. The coming birds are more common. . .
Nice shot! – and it’s hard to go wrong with bird pictures. Keep ’em coming.
More info:
http://birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/northern_harrier#
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Harrier
http://www.peregrinefund.org/subsites/explore-raptors-2001/hawks/nharrier.html
That is an incredible shot!