With the face of an owl and the body of a hawk, the Northern Harrier (or marsh hawk) is a raptor – a bird of prey – are often welcomed by farmers – they eat the mice that damage crops and pose no threat to poultry as some hawks do. This juvenile was a welcome sight for local birder John Tschopp, when he was spotted warming up on a fence post on a recent frosty morning.

Northern Harrier. Pemberton, December 2018. Photo by John Tschopp