Winter weather and freezing temperatures have already arrived here in Oklahoma and the forecast called for possible snowfall before Thanksgiving. Watching the eagles and other wildlife that frequent the aviary grounds it seems clear the weatherman may have it right this time. The CPN eagles’ appetites have almost doubled in recent days and the young turkeys of the year that were afraid to approach the feeders now seem undisturbed by our presence and feed frequently alongside the songbirds, doves, jays, flickers and woodpeckers. Meanwhile squirrels are carrying pecans away at a frantic pace.
Wadase Zhabwe has stayed close to the aviary since her return from the northern portion of the state along the Salt Fork River. She continues to frequent the aviary on a regular basis. Since Oct. 6, she hasn’t been more than 35 miles from the grounds.
Wadase has spent time exploring areas along the North Canadian River near McLoud, Dale, Harrah, Newalla, Choctaw, and Jones. On her furthest flight west to date she nearly made her way to Oklahoma City before stopping just north of east Britton Road and north Post Road on the North Canadian River. While she has spent the majority of her time on or near rivers since her release, she has ventured to larger bodies of water the first few weeks in November. She revisited Wes Watkins Reservoir but stayed just two short days, making trips to the river and back. She also discovered Horseshoe Lake just north of Harrah and spent four days there.
Perhaps she stayed longer near this location because of its close proximity to the river. Although she has come and gone from the aviary her hopeful mate seems to have moved on. He spent nine full days here in the aviary pasture and then he was gone. It is possible he was migrating south and just needed to rest and refuel. Or perhaps he followed Wadase on her explorations and found friendlier potential mates or better hunting grounds. Whatever the case, she seems content when she is here to have this peaceful pasture to herself.
Just ahead of our big cold snap in early November, where she was gone for several days, she made her entrance midday on Veterans Day. She was our guest for lunch and we were honored to spend the day with her. If you live close to the Nation please help us keep an eye out for Wadase as she ventures to new areas and new bodies of water. We would love to hear from you and welcome any reports of possible sightings.
To follow her movements with us you can visit www.arcgis.com/home and search for “Potawatomi eagle.” Send your encounters with Wadase or any other eagles in the state or wherever you may be to Jennifer.randell@potawatomi.org.
For more information or to read previous updates please visit https://www.potawatomi.org and search the site for Wadase or visit https://www.potawatomi.org/about-wadase