My Black Mesa eagle encounter began with a perch overlooking a Black-tailed Prairie Dog town in Oklahoma. I spotted the Bald Eagle while driving south of Black Mesa State Park. It was scanning the town below, and I wanted to see what it would do next.
A Black Mesa Eagle Above the Prairie Dogs
The eagle sat on what I think is a weather station. In my photograph, it rests on a metal arm beside the instruments, with its white tail hanging below.
With prairie dogs below that perch, I wondered whether I might get to photograph an attempt to catch one. I decided to stay and watch rather than drive on after taking the perched photos.
The prairie dog photograph shows two animals at a burrow. One has its head above the opening, while the other stands beside it with its black-tipped tail raised.
Photographing the Perch and Flight
I parked and took a few photos of the eagle on the equipment. After a few minutes, it left the perch and flew low toward the west. I lost sight of it before I could see where it went.
A few minutes later, I spotted the eagle rising into the sky. It began circling an area, giving me another chance to take photos. In the flight photograph, it banks above the distant hillside with its wings spread.
Then it dove out of view. I could no longer follow it with my camera or see what had drawn its attention.
An Hour Without Another Sighting
I waited over an hour, but I did not see the eagle again. My guess is that it caught something and stayed on the ground to feed. I never saw a catch, so I cannot say what happened after that dive.
A few years ago, I photographed two Bald Eagles fighting over a dead raccoon on the ground. That encounter took place at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, elsewhere in Oklahoma. You can read about it here: An Intense Bald Eagle Fight over a Dead Raccoon.
This time, I left with photographs of the perch and flight, still wondering where the eagle had landed.