B5005

Birds of Prey

Northern Harrier

Collins Cover Announcement 

Birds of Prey

High-Value eighty-five cent Stamps

Northern Harrier

A feathered missile glides across the sky with keen eyes scanning the marshes and. fields below. This long-tailed, streamlined raptor flies buoyantly with wings held in a slight "v" as it hunts above the earth. This soaring rendition is a perfect way to finish the set as the golden eagle and peregrine falcon were perched, and the northern groshawk and osprey were swooping toward their prey.

By doing this set in vertical format (I believe the only cachetro.aker to do so), it gave me the space needed to present the five birds of prey in dramatic fashion. The northern harrier stretches wing-tip to wing-tip from the top of the envelope to the bottom. Surely it, and the others in the set, will be sought by wildlife and bird topicalists as well as future Collins collectors. The individually watercolored cachets combined with the vertical renditions will, in my opinion, make this the finest set produced for the Birds of Prey issue.

I'm very pleased to offer the fifth and final cover in the series. Northern Harrier Collins #B5005 at $14.50.

Autumn 2022 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 30 B5005 — Northern Harrier (1/20/12)

When I offered my "Birds of Prey" set of five in 2012, it sold out instantly. When a Northern Groshawk (B5001) from the set was in one of my sales a year ago, it realized $157. This Harrier Hawk is a slim bird which glides and tilts as it is looking for prey. The tips of its wings have a "dipped in ink" appearance. Habitats include marshes and woodland fields. Breeding grounds are the Canadian provinces, and southern states provide a winter range with the Northeast and upper Mid-West being a year-round home. The hand painted cachet depicts this sleek hawk as it glides in the sky. A beauty!