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