All Photos posted on this blog unless otherwise noted were taken by me with my Canon Rebel XTI using a 300 mm zoom lens

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Antelope Island Finally

Grazing Pronghorn
At the end of April I had open heart surgery and have felt like I have been swimming up stream barely keeping my head above water ever since. I have had no time for birding or riding my motorcycle or much else but work and family events. Last week I finally told myself, enough I need a day to myself and where better to go than Antelope Island. I took Belle along because she doesn't require much and she is a good companion. Belle is my little Papillon Dog.

I call it Birding but visiting Antelope Island is so much more than simply birding. It was a wonderful day even though it rained much of the time. The colors this time of year are spectacular, there was plenty of wildlife and the birding wasn't bad. Here are some pictures of our day, and a list of birds and other animals that we saw.

Birds

Brewer's Blackbird
Barn Swallow
Ring-billed Gulls and Franklin's Gull
Northern Harrier
Long-billed Curlew
American Avocet and California Gulls
Eared Grebes
Horned Grebe
Black-billed Magpie
Sage Thrasher, none were very cooperative to have their picture taken
Western Meadowlark
Common Raven
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
House Wren
Wilson's Warbler
Orange Crowned Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Northern Water Thrush
Willow Flycatcher
Western Wood Pewee
Other Empid Flycatchers
White-crowned Sparrow
Killdeer
European Starling
Chukar
Canada Goose
Red-wing Blackbird
I'm going to say it is a Coopers Hawk even though I want it to be a Goshawk 
Goshawk would be a new life bird, but I'm pretty sure is a Coopers Hawk. I hope someone will comment and give your opinion. Regardless it is a beautiful Hawk and was quite cooperative to let me take its picture.
Other Animals Seen
Bison on the Beach
Bison Resting
Bison Cow
Cow and Calf
Bison Grazing
Pronghorn Buck
Island Mascot

Mule Deer Doe
Mule Deer Grazing
Antelope Island Scenery Plants, Rocks and Views
The Rabbit Brush is just starting to bloom
View of Freemont Island
Sunflower
For much of the year these flowers look like reddish sticks in the fields then in September they boom I finally found out what they are called, Moth Mullein and they cover much of the island.
Pronghorn in a Moth Mullein Jungle
Sunflowers with a lavender colored flower I don't know the name of. UPDATE My friend John Lofgreen of Anchorage Alaska has ID'd the lavender colored flowers as Rocky Mountain Bee Plant. Thanks John!
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
You don't need to go to the mountains to see fall colors, the blooming Salicorina (Pickle Weed) in it's spectacular fall colors.
Mountain Shot from White Rock Bay


3 comments:

Haddock said...

Wonderful pictures. Had seen the long billed curlew at the Monterrey Aquarium.

john said...

Steve, I'm glad that you are feeling well enough to get out and enjoy nature. I do believe that this is your best post. Great variety and wonderful photos.
Unfortunately for you, your accipiter is an immature Cooper's Hawk. Goshawks are really stocky and even the immature birds have very prominent white eyebrows. The habitat is certainly wrong for a goshawk although they to wander out of the forest in the fall and winter.
I believe the flowers are Rocky Mountain Bee Plant.

Steve's Bird Blog said...

Thanks John, I was pretty sure it was a Coopers Hawk but you know how it is when your hoping for a new life bird. Goshawks have been seen on Antelope Island but I'm not sure where. There are different habitats on the island. Thanks for the Plant ID, I looked it up and you are correct.