Sometimes photographing birds is a bit of a hit or miss opportunity.

Methinks I’ve written on that subject a few times before.
We have over the past few weeks, on occasions, spotted a Spotted Harrier. It is most likely one that was in our area about 3 years ago. It has a distinctive ‘notch’ out of one wing.
Spotted Harriers master huge territories. So it’s not unusual to go for sometime without sighting them.
Several years ago, a pair was in residence behind the Avalon Airport and were among a number of birds, Falcons, Black-shouldered Kites and Kestrels that worked the surrounding paddocks. Dr Hollands in his revised book on Australian Raptors has both good information and photos from the time.

Currently this bird seems to be working over many of the paddocks that stretch along the western side of Port Phillip. We’ve been able to find it in places as much as 20km apart (It’s distinctive wing notch is helpful in id)

The other morning as we were settling in to look at a new pair of Kites that also have recently turned up. Off in the distance, an large shape flicked and dived across the field. It was a very windy morning, and we’d already had qualms about being out in a forested area in case one of the trees should tumble or shed a large branch.
We thought at first by the colouring it was a Brown Falcon, but then as it worked along a fence line, the unmistakeable shape, led to EE calling, “Spotted Harrier” Too far for photos, but simply amazing to watch the huge wings carry the bird at speed against the prevailing wind.

We then ventured along a track through the trees away from IamGrey, and way across the paddock through the gaps in the treeline, we saw it heading in our general direction. Too many trees, too much undergrowth, it was going to be hard to get it cutting across the field. And now with the wind behind, the speed had ramped up too.
Suddenly it was through the first line of the trees, out across the paddock around some bushes, that lifting, falling, sliding flight giving it full view of anything on the ground.
Then it turned back toward our area, and like a magician with a rabbit in a hat, it disappeared.

“It had to have gone down into the grass”, was the cry.

How do you sneak up on a Spotted Harrier? Not a lot of books, or websites or social media posts overflowing with good answers to that question. (I wonder why?)

Abandoning our somewhat inactive Kites, we ‘crept’ through the treeline, realising as soon as we saw the bird, it would be gone.
But, as they say.
We spotted it, on a old downed tree. A murder of rather annoyed and raucous Ravens, must have caused it to stop for safety sake.
We edged past another downed tree, and had a clearer view. No point in trying to ‘get closer’ as a fence was in the way.
Still, the bird, to its credit, stood its ground. The sunlight cascaded across the scene and behind the old tree, it was safe from Ravens, humans and the strong wind.

It sat for around 5 minutes or so. To the hardly breathing photographers, it seemed more like 5 hours.
Then those big wings, lifted, and as I’d put the camera down because my arms were aching, I could only watch as it sailed back into the breeze, across the paddock and was gone.

Enjoy