Harrier on the wing

Swamp Harriers are magnificent raptors, intimidating and graceful at the same time.

Swamp Harriers fly low over grasslands searching for prey using their eyes and ears. They are easy to identify even at a significant distance as they soar with their wings held in a V shape and they have a distinctive white rump. They are secure across Australia and are the most common raptor in New Zealand.

They measure about 55cm and weigh approximately three quarters of a kilogram. That’s a lot of bird to land on it’s prey, particularly with those fierce talons. They feed on large insects, reptiles, small mammals and birds that they catch on the ground or on water. I have a series of fairly poor shots of Swamp Harriers hassling a Pacific Black Duck on an inland wetland, and more of another swampy harassing a Eurasian Coot in the shallow waters of Port Phillip Bay. I’ll share them one day when my internet is more reliable than it is at the moment.

I took this week’s image especially for a camera club challenge called ‘On the Wing’. I wanted to capture a inflight shot where just one wing was visible. The good news is that I managed to capture a suitable shot, the silly news is that I forgot to send it in.

Happy birding

Kim

~ Facebook page Kim Wormald – lirralirra
~ Facebook group  Ethical Bird Photography

NB This week’s lirralirra images on facebook include a Tuan (Brush-tailed Phascogale), an Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog, and a Swamp Wallaby eating feathers