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New Yard Bird-Northern Harrier



Hello All,

    Twice in the past week I have been pleased to have been visited by a 
female Northern Harrier (yard bird #120). During her first visit she spent 
2-3 hours and seemed to be quite successful foraging. I watched her capture 
and devour two hatchling Eastern Painted Turtles she found in the lawn, two 
Northern Dusky Salamanders she found at the edge of the marsh and an immature 
Black Rat Snake. She seemed to have no interest in the feeder birds, though 
they were not too happy with her presence.
    Yesterday, as I was enjoying the extra hour of daylight after work, she 
returned. She flew atop my largest hopper feeder that was nearly empty and 
then dove nearly straight down to the edge of the marsh. I jumped up to see 
what she had captured, but could only see her head. No problem. She soon flew 
back atop the same hopper feeder with a sizable frog in her talons. She 
quickly consumed it in seven or eight bites before I had a chance to speciate 
it. I guess she has a herp deficiency. Cheers.

Steve Tracy
Gastonia, NC