The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) has to be one of the most impressive predators on the North American continent. The Mexicans did well to use it as a national symbol on their flag (unlike us, who adopted the prettier bald, who is mainly a fish and duck hunter, and scavenger).

Goldens are hunters. They hunt rabbits, grouse, and anything of that size. They can be a major predator on deer and antelope fawns, and can and do kill full-grown adult pronghorn.

I've seen them attacking antelope, but unlike some others I know, I have never been lucky enough to see an actual kill.

Judging by the way a bighorn ewe I was watching suddenly lunged her front end up in the air after a soaring eagle, I assume they are also a respected predator on bighorn lambs.

Really wonderful birds up close, too. Beautiful, intelligent yellow eyes. Powerful talons.

So, have you ever heard anyone refer to them as "god-damned mother fucking eagles?"

If you were riding with me this morning, you would have.

Had four strutting grounds I tried to check yesterday morning. The first was swallowed up by the gas field long ago, and as expected was empty. Wells are nearing the other three leks now, so I want good counts on their attendance.

The third lek is on a high point (hence the name, High Point) on the left side of a long draw. You have to drive to the head of the valley, then circle back along the fenceline to count the lek. As I was driving up, I saw two large avians cross the valley in front of me, headed straight towards the lek.

Took me a good 10 minutes to actually get there, and what did I find on the strutting ground?

A g-d m-f golden eagle. No grouse.

And it took off northwest towards the fourth lek. Which was also empty of grouse by the time I had negotiated the four miles that the eagle probably covered in six minutes.

So today, I had to waste a morning repeating those strutting grounds. Came in from the east this time, instead of the south, and managed to check a different lek shortly after sunrise.

Had lots of wind this morning, ideal flying and hunting conditions for eagles.

The first lek had less than half the grouse I expected, and quite a few of these were just walking onto the lek.

As if they had just been flushed a while before.

When I came up on High Point lek, there was one large bird sitting smack dab in the middle of the lek.

A g-d m-f golden eagle.

Which immediately took off, headed northwest.

You guessed it. When I got to the next lek, there was nobody strutting. Three cocks hiding out in the sage a 100 meters to the north, and a fourth slinking around the lek itself.

Like he would really like to get laid this morning, but he doesn't want to risk becoming an eagle Pop-Tart (juicy filling, no frosting) in order for that to happen.

G-d m-f eagles.