Swamp Harrier flying
Swamp Harrier over Orroral Valley
Canon EOS R1 with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 1250, 481mm, f/8.0 and 1/2500])
This Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans) was initially on the ground when I was walking through Orroral Valley along a part of the Australian Alps Walking Track. I didn’t notice it until it called and took off quickly. Once in the air it circled around until it gained height and then glided further away, over the Orroral River. It wasn’t on a nest because it was well away from water, although it may have just dived at some prey.
It was probably an older bird because the plumage of these birds gets lighter as they get older. They nest on the ground, normally in long grass or reeds, in a wet environment but above the water level. They generally feed on small birds and animals, which are in abundance around the wetter habitat they tend to inhabit. They are also called the Marsh Harrier, again, because they are generally found around wetlands. Not surprisingly, they have benefited from the human modification of the land for irrigating agricultural areas, although they have also suffered because they will prey on farm fowl, which are likely an easy catch in an open enclosure.
