May 10
What an amazing day on Antelope island. We did the 6 mile hike to the Sentinel peak. The bugs were thick, but so were other wildlife. we saw hundreds of bison, antelope, coyote, horned larks, chipping sparrows, lark sparrows, and meadowlarks. The view of the Great Salt Lake was more beautiful than I expected from such a desolate place. Almost like those travel pictures of Tuscany. The big surprise was back in the cool shade grove at Garr Ranch. There we saw deer, wilson's warblers, lazuli buntings, a northern waterthrush... and a great horned owl with her new chick! Not bad for 5 hours on a desolate desert island in a salty lake.
Apr 20
Assuming the favorite sunning spot, Roo and Fox declare the patio open.
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Apr 18
A year ago (April 2008) we made our first excursion to Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake. I'm not sure why it took me 38 years to go out there, but since that fateful day we've returned to the island every month. The sense of nature and the birds are just incredible. These shots are from today's visit to the Fielding Garr Ranch on Antelope Island: white-crowned sparrow, red wing blackbird, female American Kestrel and Jessica in the field with the ranch buildings in the background.
Other birds sighted today: barn swallows, avocets. willets, american widgeon, northern shovelers, coots, great blue heron, double-crested comorant, meadowlarks, brewers blackbird, cedar wax wings, ruby-crowned kinglets, yellow headed blackbird, song sparrows, gold finches, house finches, robins.
Cool birds of the day - eared grebes, long-billed curlew. New bird - prairie falcon
Apr 16
Bought a few Macs recently. Maybe now we'll get some work done around the office.
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Apr 12
A pair Cassins finches turned up in the yard. Today's fun was finding a black capped chickadee excavating a nest in a tree along the Jordan River Parkway. We also saw an Osprey - our first in Utah (couldn't get a picture).
Apr 5
I'm always astounded how big the Grand Canyon is when I fly over it going to Phoenix.
Mar 24
Nani waiting for breakfast
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Mar 22
I spent a very windy Saturday at Bear River Wild B ird Refuge. The huge flocks for migration have not quite arrived yet, but I did get a fast shot of this little marsh wren. These little guys are very hard to spot in out in the open. They are in constant motion through thick stands of reeds. When they do pop into view for moment, they blend in VERY well. I felt lucky to snap this shot.
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Mar 17
It's Spring break at the university. That means quiet mornings on campus with no students. Today I sat in the union patio sipping coffee and watching the sunrise over campus while flocks of migrating birds passed over heading for the Great Salt Lake. I feel sorry for people who jump out of bed, gulp down breakfast, sit in traffic for an hour and scurry from a drab parking lot into a cubicle.
University of Utah Marriott Library
Feb 15
No big adventure trip today. We just went to a little pond area near where Cottonwood mall used to be. We tried out the new Nikon ED50 scope with a 27x fixed eyepiece. It is fantastic. We put it on a set of carbon-fiber Benro sticks and it's a great super-light set up to carry. The Cedar Wax-Wing photo was shot with our new Panasonic Lumix camera. The right toys make birding all the more enjoyable.
