I found my touchstone, the northern harrier, when I was a
youngster living in southwestern Minnesota. In every place that
I've lived for any length of time, I've always found that
graceful hawk. We've followed each other from the upper Midwest
to coastal Virginia and back across the country to the
Intermountain West. After moving to Missouri, I was hopeful that
I would see northern harriers, a species endangered in the
state. My first year in Missouri passed with no sightings. I was
a bit discouraged, but while driving by a prairie in
southwestern Missouri, I saw an approaching shape flying just
above the horizon, alternating heavy wing beats and buoyant
glides. Occasionally, the bird hovered and then moved on. It
looked as if it might be a northern harrier. As it soared closer
I could see the characteristic white patch of feathers on the
bird's rump. A northern harrier in Missouri--I had reconnected
with my touchstone. I was sure of the species based on its
flight pattern and its white rump patch. But to tel