Geotripper has been out of California for the last week, so the next few posts include some out-of-staters. We were driving on Highway 89 just north of Kanab, Utah when we saw an interesting looking detour, Angel Canyon Road. Midway down the scenic road we somehow spotted a raptor high up on the cliff. I got out the camera to zoom in, because it didn't look at all like the expected Red-tailed Hawk.
It was the legs. The feathered legs strongly suggested a Golden Eagle (
Aquila chrysaetos), and the shape of the beak confirmed it. I took what pictures I could from the great distance, and it wasn't until much later that I noticed that we had interrupted the eagle's lunch.
We got one last shot as the eagle took off to the south. It was a neat surprise after a long day on the road.
