Go Away!

I saw a male Northern Harrier, also called a Gray Ghost, making some swoops over the vegetation and decided to see why. This coyote was considered a threat as it was nesting season for the harriers.







And STAY OUT!


I'll show you!


Canon 7D
EF 100-400 MK I
1/1000
f/5.6
ISO 400

This is awesome, John!

Looks like the coyote has had enough of the harrier Very interesting interaction and I am so glad you shared this with us!

What were the lighting conditions like, at the time?

Love the last two frames portraying a very annoyed coyote...He probably deserves it, he must have been "in the wrong place, at the wrong time"? Kindly tell us more if possible...also, I would like to know where do those harriers nest?

Kind regards,

Thank you Gabriela.

Conditions were solid overcast gray.

The harriers make their nests in the vegetation. Not sure if it is on the ground or a platform in the vegetation though.

Dear John,

I would appreciate it if you found out and let me know - I always thought harriers nest somewhere off the ground

Your coyote reminds me of our jackals around here - cunning, great hunters, full of character, also funny sometimes. I truly enjoyed this sequence - thank you!

Kind regards,

I found they do nest on the ground and sometimes on a slight mound but hidden in vegetation.

This is one heck of a sequence you captured here. I've never seen or heard of anything like it. That last capture is simply amazing. I wonder how much of a crop this is. I just tried recropping your final frame with some off of the bottom and right and down just a tad from the top to just past the dark line. I feel it makes the image even more powerful! Thanks for sharing this amazing series.

What a fantastic thing to see, and a great capture of it! Once again, the last frame is priceless!!

Marina Scarr said:

This is one heck of a sequence you captured here. I've never seen or heard of anything like it. That last capture is simply amazing. I wonder how much of a crop this is. I just tried recropping your final frame with some off of the bottom and right and down just a tad from the top to just past the dark line. I feel it makes the image even more powerful! Thanks for sharing this amazing series.

Click to expand...

Thank you Marina. It is about 33% max vertically. I apologize for getting back to these so late.

I agree on tightening the crop a wee bit as you suggested does make a better image.

Diane Miller said:

What a fantastic thing to see, and a great capture of it! Once again, the last frame is priceless!!

Click to expand...

Thank you Diane.