I Can Haz BlogThe places I go and things I seeFiled under: utahAmerican Bison Herd with CalvesIt's a long cry from the days of thousands of American Bison covering the plains, but these pictures of the Antelope Island herd ( a few hundred) with their spring calves conjures a glimpse of what those days might have looked like. Wild lands, wild life and wild beauty must be preserved.
Moab Utah Redrock and WetlandsUPDATE: The Matheson Wetlands Preserve in Moab, Utah burned just 3 weeks after we visited and took several of the pictures in this post. What a horrible loss. There were many birds nesting in the area that burned. -----
I spent my birthday checking out the Matheson Wetlands Preserve and birding along the Colorado River in Moab Utah. I've been to Moab a few times, but not since taking up birding. It really adds a whole new dimension to a very mystical place. I was hoping to see a canyon wren - heard one several times, but never could locate it. The wetlands and Mayflower Canyon had a surprising diversity of birds including:
May Means Buntings, Warblers and... More Snow?One of my favorite Spring birding spots is the temple stone quarry up Little Cottonwood Canyon near Salt lake City. Over the weekend we encountered many Lazuli Buntings in the area as well as Black-headed Grosbeaks. Returning today I found the mountain tops covered in a layer of new snow and the cold, wet weather keeping the birds down. I was able to spot Virginia's Warblers, Orange-crowned warblers, chipping sparrows and Yellow-rumped warblers all in the same tree. A few Spotted Towhee were hanging around as well. Dramatic Winter Day on the Great Salt LakeYou never know what will show up on Antelope Island in January. A dramatic day of sun and snow brought Bald Eagles and Coyotes on the iced over bay. Our big surprise was a Greater White-fronted Goose - a bird not very common to the island and a new life-bird for us. This one is a juvenile which made distinguishing it from a domestic goose a bit tough, but you can tell by the crisp markings and the lean look that it is a wild bird. Domestic geese have much more bulk. We also stopped by the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area where a couple of American Kestrels posed beautifully and we got our second life-bird of the day, a Rough-legged Hawk (and a shutter-hog Canada Goose). Winter is so much more bearable with wildlife and wild places to visit.The Pics I Missed Posting in 2010I was looking back over my photos from 2010 and realized I never posted some of my favorites from this year's adventures. 1) Great Salt Lake Mirror Calm2) Long-Billed Curlew - Antelope Island 3) Bison and Antelope - White Rock Bay, Antelope Island 4 & 5) Coyote in the Grass - Antelope Island 6) Rock Wren Singing - Visitor's Center, Antelope Island 7) White Crowned Sparrow - Visitor's Center, Antelope Island 8) Cordilleran Flycatcher - Garr Ranch, Antelope Island 9) Western Tanager - Garr Ranch, Antelope Island 10) Hermit Thrush - Garr Ranch, Antelope Island 11) Black and White Warbler (rare visitor) - Garr Ranch, Antelope Island 12) Northern Saw-Whet Owl (with prey) - Garr Ranch, Antelope Island 13) Cassin's Finch - South Willow Canyon, Tooele Valley 14) Westen Wood Pewee - South Willow Canyon, Tooele Valley 15) Chipmunk - Big Four Ice Caves, Washington 16) Pacific Wren - Big Four Ice Caves Washington 17) Barn Swallow Chicks and Mother - Garr Ranch, Antelope Island 18) Mountain Bluebird, Strawberry Reservoir, Utah 19) Cooper's Hawk Chicks - University of Utah campus 20) Fall Colors in Silver Fork Canyon, Utah 21) Looking Toward Wasatch Mountain State Park from the Johnson Mill Pond, Midway, Utah 22) Johnson Mill - Midway, Utah 23) Pied Billed Grebe Chick - Johnson Mill Pond, Midway, Utah 24) Red Tailed Hawk - Heber Valley, Utah 25) Fall Colors, East Canyon, Utah
Snow Buntings at Utah LakeFall begins with aspens, owls and a rare gullThis weekend we went to Brighton to see the aspens just turning golden Utah's mountains. The Pica community was active with huge food piles drying for winter and at least 5 of the little critters running around. The high country is just reaching peak colors.
Out on Antelope Island we went looking for owls. Both Great Horned at Garr Ranch perched for us. Nature photographer Paul Higgens pointed out a tiny Northern Saw-whet Owl holding prey and staring at us (new life bird). Amazingly, we also found a Burrowing Owl standing in the open. I was not expecting 3 owl species in one day. We also watched 4 Sabine's gulls - a very rare visitor and probably a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see this bird.
Lazuli BuntingSome days you only get one really good look a bird. At least today's was a Lazuli Bunting - one of my absolute favorite birds. This was shot up East Canyon on the Big Mountain part of the Great Western Trail.
Broad-tailed HummingbirdFinally some good shots of a hummingbird! It took a lot of waiting in a meadow up the canyon. I watched this little guy chase bees and fly for nectar all over the meadow, but he kept coming back to the same perch. I just waited and snapped shots whenever he sat for a rest. How many colors can one bird have? Sometimes he was black, sometimes purple, sometimes red, sometimes green, sometimes blue.
Paradise 10 Minutes from HomeThe snow is finally gone from Little Cottonwood Canyon (at least below 7000 feet). The snow melt poured over the canyon walls in long season waterfalls filling the canyon creek and making it a raging white-water river. An excursion to the old Mormon temple granite quarry brought national park quality canyon views and great bird encounters. The Lazuli Bunting's blue heads glowed in the morning light. I was lucky to spot a little Black-chinned Hummingbird sitting on her tiny nest. We couldn't miss the bright yellows of Western Tanagers and Yellow Warblers. A House Wren even sat and singing while I snapped pics.
When May and June come around, I'm reminded why I love living in Utah with so many amazing natural places so close - some just 10 minutes from my house.
Birds and wildlife:
Mule deer
unidentified lizard
unidentified water snake
Turkey Vulture
Lazuli Bunting
Chipping Sparrow
House Finch
American Robin
European Starling
Black capped Chickadee
House Wren
Swainsons Thrush
Spotted Towhee
Black headed Grosbeek
Warbling Vireo
MacGillivray's Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Western Tanager
Black chinned Hummingbird
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