Birds in My World

I enjoy the wide variety of birds that inhabit my community and every once in a while I see something new.

While out walking one day, Jules and I spotted this male Northern Harrier. I often see Harriers flying low, harrying their prey but I have never seen one perched and certainly not close enough for a good shot. I was surprised to see his "owl like" face. Since he hunts close to the ground this shape helps to amplify the sound of his prey, the same function it serves in owls.

How do I know it is a male? Unlike most hawks the markings are quite different between the male and female. The female is a mottled brown while the male is grayish. I seem to see females hunting much more often, probably because during non-nesting season females will chase the males away from the best hunting areas.

Unlike most raptors, the Northern Harrier nests on the ground. Perhaps that is why the difference in markings. The female would be much better camouflaged while she is incubating the eggs.
Their preferred prey is voles, which we have in abundance in the open area and in our gardens. I'm always glad to see the Harriers and the Egrets which also feed on voles!


I also spotted this Rufous Hummingbird the other day. Our usual resident is the Anna's Humming bird. I think the Rufous was migrating through as they are more common in Oregon and Washington. A very aggressive little guy, he was chasing my resident hummers. He doesn't play nice.


See more views from around the world at My World Tuesday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.