beluga

beluga

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Great Salt Lake

We're getting caught up on things here in Salt Lake so today we took the afternoon to revisit Antelope Island, in the Great Salt Lake.   The last time we were there clouds of tiny bugs kept us inside the car with windows rolled tightly up.      If I tried to lower a window to take a picture we were both covered in pepper sized bugs within a few seconds.

water birds dot the water

We figured it must be a springtime thing so we thought we'd give it another try.  The island is a State Park so there is a fee to visit, but it was well worth it to us today.     No bugs!

We saw four new to us birds, wandering pronghorn, enough bison to exhaust my camera's battery and rocks over a billion years old.   Worth the $10 entrance fee....

three American Avocet dozing

very bad picture of an Eared Grebe,
I love his red eyes

A male Chukar with ridiculous feet!
These bird pictures are not very good, but I didn't include a really bad one of the fourth new to us bird......a Sage Thrasher.   You'll have to use your imagination and please excuse the picture quality.


our lunch view

A causeway led us to the Island

we followed the fenceline
looking for burrowing owls

a lone pronghorn

He's a real beauty even though he is a bit cowhocked.....

Mom and babe


he has Lewis's hair do!

Dave looking down from the trailhead at Frary Peak, the highest point on the Island.
The tiny dots below on the other side of the road are Bison

its a steep journey!

1.7 billion year old rocks comprise
the southern 2/3 of the island

I just love these little Chukars!
They lined up in the shade of the picnic tables in an empty campground


What a pleasant and simple day we had.    Just the way we like it.  


9 comments:

  1. I'm glad to hear the bugs were gone!! Wonderful to see such interesting birds - the row of Chukars are so fun :-)) Wouldn't want those Bison to be any closer than they appear, but they sure are incredible animals. Still, Lewis rocks the "do" much better! Hard to believe there are hills even tall enough to have that steep of a grade - I really do need to see this place.

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  2. Great wildlife day! Good to hear the bugs were gone:) We were there in the summer and there were bitting insects everywhere!! I'm with Jodee, Lewis does the hair much better:)

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  3. Great wildlife day! Good to hear the bugs were gone:) We were there in the summer and there were bitting insects everywhere!! I'm with Jodee, Lewis does the hair much better:)

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  4. Great wildlife day! Good to hear the bugs were gone:) We were there in the summer and there were bitting insects everywhere!! I'm with Jodee, Lewis does the hair much better:)

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  5. The chuckars are so cute but my favorite is the bison in the mirror "closer than they appear" - haha

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  6. Looks like it was you and the critters. Love the chuckars.

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  7. YAY, no bugs! I'm envious of your Chukar sightings...I've heard them from a trail once but have never seen one.

    Cowhocked??? = Knock kneed???

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  8. Awesome! Love the Chukars!

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  9. Those chukars looked like they are styling aviators with their sunglasses on. Did not hear about a Chukar nor see it until now.
    Glad you went back and had better luck with wildlife.

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