Friends, this hatch year Northern Harrier is a hawk with a facial disk much like an owl.  Her beautiful chocolate brown eyes mark her as a first year female according to the educators on Hawk Ridge.  Below is an image of a more mature harrier with lemon-colored eyes and a grayer plummage.  The disk helps to funnel sounds while they typically cruise over the top of the cattails hunting for their food.  Close to the ground they can be identified by the white patch near the topside of the butt.  Tomorrow we will release this bird back to the wild. til Tomorrow MJ