We spotted a Northern Harrier flying low over the marsh as it hunted for small mammals. It dropped down before I could photograph it so we moved past some scrub to see if we could find where it landed. This is what we saw in the distance. The Harrier was in a staring contest with an Eastern Coyote for several minutes before the Coyote turned to leave and the bird took to air again.
We do not know how the situation came to be but neither predator seemed to be in a hurry to end the staring contest. Eastern Coyotes are a bit larger than their western cousins due to some crossbreeding with wolves. (They have also interbred with domestic dogs.) They are 4-5 feet (1.2-1.5 m) long, nose to tail tip, and weigh 35-45 pounds (16-20 kg). The Harrier is less than 20 inches (48 cm) long and weighs less than 26 ounces (.75 kg). You might think that the Coyote would make a snack out of the Harrier but everything ended peacefully.
Birds in My Viewfinder 
Very interesting inter-species interaction! I can only imagine there was a food item nearby that the Harrier wanted. After puzzling over how to catch the Harrier without a promising idea, the Coyote simply gave up.
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