Heading up to Antelope Island to hike Sentry Trail.
I arrive on the frosty causeway just before 9am. It's sunny and 23 degrees.
As I cross the causeway, I see no hawks, Kestrels or Bald Eagles. In fact, the duck population is negligible to non-existent. Not sure where the usually large population of Shovelers are this year.
I reach the island and head south towards the Ranch.
I see no animals behind the Ranch (and hardly any snow either). But I see a Western Meadowlark and he's singing!
I roll past Frary Peak seeing several hawks.
Some where past Frary Peak and the Frary Homestead trail when I see my first animal of the day, a coyote moving along the lake bed. I stop to watch for a bit.
Just as I'm about to get moving, I see a white truck rolling up behind - looks like a DNR truck. I move on noting that the truck stops to check out the coyote too!
A bit farther up the road, is another large herd of bison on the west side of the road.
Not much farther up the road, there's a bison crossing.
I slowly roll up enjoying the closeness of the animals. Not grunting this morning but they are a bit slow crossing the road. They actually cross back behind me as I pass. Always cool!
Then I'm at the Ranch. I don't see any bison near the Sentry Trail so I gear up - it's 25 degrees - and start up the snowy road on the way to the trail head.
I reach the trail head and start on my way to Mushroom Springs. However, I believe there are some bison behind Mushroom Springs in the rocks on the hillside. Yep!
I'm definitely OK to get past them because they are far enough away. But they are not that far under the switchback. Hmmm.
I also see a large bird in the trees behind Mushroom Springs. This is where the Bald Eagles perch so I've got my fingers crossed.
I reach the Springs, all I can tell is it's a large black/brown bird and I don't see a white head. Could be a juvenile eagle or just large raven. I can't tell - will have to wait to check my photos. (From the photos, it's a juvenile!
I walk past and start up the hill. On my way up, I see a coyote traveling uphill somewhere near where I think the bison are. Love it!
I continue uphill and soon reach the switchback.
I start across stopping for some Horned Larks. There are 3 of them. One on the left and 2 on the right.
I reach the tree where the large bird is; the bison are somewhere below me. I head over to the edge. Yep, I see them down the hill a bit. Now I'm wondering if I should continue. They are not an issue now but when I return in an hour or so, where will they be? If they move uphill or downhill, I'll be trekking off trail through the couple inches of now. I reach the end of the switchback to get a view on Sentry Peak.
I think I'll turn around now. (My feet are a bit cold anyway.)
I head down the trail, reach the road and start back to the Ranch. I'm almost to the Ranch when I see several deer in the trees! There's a hawk flying in the background.
Back at my car, I head back north.
Just north of the Ranch, I see my third coyote of the day trotting north on the west side of the fence on the lake bed. (The fence was put up this summer to prevent animals from leaving the island or in this case, reaching the island. From my understanding, the fence was required so the Island can re-establish a herd of Bighorn Sheep. The sheep died because of that respiratory illness which DNR believes came onto the island by animals migrating onto or off of/returning to the island.)
I continue to north. The one herd of bison are all napping now.
And those previously crossing bison are also now all on the west side of the road and are napping.
I reach the north end of the island and nearing the Visitor's Center when I see my 4th coyote of the day. I stop and roll down my windows. I hear the coyote barking. I take out my binocs. I hear the barks but I don't see the coyote's mouth moving. Wait, it's mouth is moving but the sound of the bark is moments later. What a great demo of sound traveling! Looks like I'm watching a dubbed foreign movie. Mouth movement, hear comes the sound. Awesome!!
The coyote takes off running south and I continue to the west side of the island.
Coming up on the Bison Point road, there are two bison on the east side.
Heading down the White Rock road, there is a small herd of bison just south of the road. And more down near the White Rock trail.
Continuing on, there's is another group of bison north of the road.
I turn around and head back. Hey, there's a herd of Pronghorn!!
Got them all today, bison, deer, pronghorn and coyote (and the Bald Eagle)!!
On the drive back out on the causeway, I see Bald Eagle #2!!
And a nice hawk perched on a sign just before the gate.
Awesome day!
No comments:
Post a Comment