Red-tailed Hawks Around Black Mesa: Getting the Photos I Wanted

I saw Black Mesa Red-tailed Hawks on most days of my 14-day camping trip at Black Mesa State Park in Oklahoma. Getting photographs I liked took much longer. Toward the end of my stay, I began getting the shots I had hoped for.

Black Mesa Red-tailed Hawks Among the Rocks

I encountered several different hawks during the trip. Some perched where I didn’t like the setting, while others gave me a chance in terrible light.

One hawk chose a rocky perch that I liked. I almost missed it because it blended into the surrounding rocks. After so many frustrating attempts, I was glad to find a bird in a setting I wanted to photograph.

A Snake Takeoff Through the Truck Window

The snake encounter tested how much room I had to work from inside my truck.

While driving, I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk on a power line on the passenger side. I couldn’t get a photograph from that position, so I parked and watched.

The hawk left the wire and dove beside the road on the driver’s side. That put it on my side of the truck, but I still had trouble getting the shot. From where I had parked, the mirror and door frame blocked my camera’s movement.

I managed to photograph the hawk lifting off with a snake. As it continued, I couldn’t swing the camera and lens far enough to follow. I got the takeoff, but missed the chance to continue the sequence.

I have shared another ground-level encounter in Red-tailed Hawk’s Mysterious Ground Search.

A Fence Post Encounter to Finish the Trip

The last two photographs came from an encounter with a Red-tailed Hawk on a fence post. I got a perched photograph before it took flight.

I like the fourth photograph even though the hawk is flying away. From that angle, I could capture the tail feathers spread out, with their markings in view.

By the end of the trip, I had several hawk photographs I wanted to keep. The missed chances were frustrating, but I was glad I kept watching the birds I encountered.