April 25 - Antelope Island (The gnats are back - ugh!)

My Friday off - yea!!! Tossed around a few options but decided to go to Antelope Island --- the baby bison and antelope should be here -- I hope.

I think the trip may be a risk because the biting gnats are coming - can't remember if that's the end of April or May; but I'll have some idea today.

The water is really low today (both the Farmington Bay side and Salt Lake) -- though I would think Farmington Bay (freshwater) would be filling up with all the mountain snow melt --- probably diverted to the aquifers. Lots of "beach" (I'd call it tidal flats but this is a lake) -- but the shorebirds (avocets, etc) are out and some little black ducks (I think they are Coots).

I changed things up today and decided not to go down the East side of the island first thing. There's rain in the forecast for the afternoon/evening and I need to complete the hike of White Rock Trail first.

Make a quick stop at the potties first --- the Common Checkered Skipper butterflies are flying (lots of them), and so are the nasty biting gnats --- this is probably not going to be a fun day (but there is a little bit of a breeze that could keep the gnats at bay).

No bison out anywhere that I can see, wonder where they're all at. But I do see a Chukkar as he ran right in front of my car; luckily I was able to stop.

I turn to go through the campground and get to the trailhead and spot 3 deer at one of the site. One is a button buck (little button antlers). One deer quickly takes off running across the road and down into the brush by the water. Another follows. The last one walks calmly for a bit checking me out and then follows the other 2 down. They quickly disappear. That's a good start!!

Park my car and climb out and was immediately greeted by a swarm of gnats and a Western Meadowlark (yellow breast proudly thrusted forward) belting out his call from a tall fence post.

The ground is covered in pink flowers; the one of the pink flowers looks like a phlox and the other I'm not sure - but they're everywhere.

There is also Lily-like plant blooming.

I take off --- no bison, antelope in sight; just pink flowers and occasional pesky biting gnats (and their bites hurt and then burn). The chukars are calling as well --- the "look-out" is stationed on a rock as I pass by.

As I get higher, seeing lots of Checkered Skippers and see the yellow & black Anise Swallowtail (the first swallowtail to fly).

The trail is leading me slowly out of the breeze now and stopping to look at anything, results in a swarm of gnats surrounding my head. Got to keep moving.

I see an antelope below the trail and I stop (being swarmed with gnats is OK for an antelope). He's actually pretty friendly today. Just checking me out. Then he heads towards the trail and than onto the trail -- we stand staring at each other (about 60ft apart).

 I try to stay still but the gnats are driving me crazy. The antelope takes a few steps towards me -- almost saying "What are you doing out here in all the gnats, get out of here!!". When I take a step towards him, he takes off in a slow trot up to the rocky section. (That's the closest I've ever gotten to an antelope -- they're usually pretty skiddish.)

I turn yet another corner and I'm out of the breeze and I now covered in gnats (arms, shirts, cap, ...face) and have a swarm of gnats flying around my head. I try picking up the pace but it doesn't help. So I start to jog -- my head is down and pressing thru. A herd of bison catch my eye but when I look up and see a swarm of black gnats I ain't stopping to find out how many bison.

Some movement near the trail coming up but still jogging trying to outrace these little buggers. Finally get to another pronghorn --- and I stop for him too. He's on the right side on the trail. He's not afraid either --- again probably thinking "Stupid human". He actually crosses the trail (nice shot against the mountain background), looks at me for a while

and then crosses back. We're just staring at each other -- but its time to race for the top of the hill and the breeze. (I so want to turn around, but I'll just have to go thru the gnat gauntlet all over again ... but at least I'd be running downhill.)

I keep plugging away and finally make it to the breeze!! Oh what a relief! Bugs gone! I think I'd be safe the rest of the way because the wind is from the NW and once I come around the valley, will be walking the coast back (at least that's what I'm hoping).

I can now stop and check out the Painted Lady butterflies, take a closer look at the pink flowers and the lily, and enjoy the view from up high --- finally see some bison on the east side down by Farmington Bay. And I can finally get all the bugs I inhaled out of my mouth with some swigs of water. I see a Pearl Crescent bfly too!

I loop around the valley bug-free. And there's no visible animals in the valley.

As the trail swings out and runs parallel to the water, the breeze is much lighter. I know if I stop, I'll be swarmed again. I even turn around and see a big swarm waiting to pounce.

I stop for a couple of Juba Skippers but it brief and I keep moving, until I see some beautiful red Paintbrush blooming among the sagebrush. There's not a lot of it but its so pretty and worth a stop. But the stop is very quick because I'm swarmed yet again!. (This is Early or Desert Paintbrush. And they are partly parasitic on the sagebrush --- and I can confirm that the paintbrush is only around the sagebrush.)

There also a yellow flower blooming -- definitely in the Pea family.

The rest of the way is walk and jog.  I'm so tired of the bugs -- I'd like to teleport myself to my car. But it gets worse, the last mile, there's no breeze and I can't escape them. I'm not exaggerating, they're everywhere (my own min-horrible show) - my ears burning from the bites.

One last sprint to my car and then I just dive in and shut the door. After I get my backpack off, I look in the rear view mirror, I have dead bugs around both eye sockets, around my nose and mouth, my collar and my teeth (I'm going to start carrying floss in my car -- that's disgusting!). Luckily I have napkins which I wet to wipe all the bugs off my face. Horrible stuff!!! (OK the 2 close encounters with the antelope were great -- but horrible hiking.)

I almost don't want to go down the east side of the island but its always an adventure so I have to go (just staying in my car from now on).

Well, I'm finding a bison on the east side. They are down at the "beach" --- the fresh water is so low they need to be down there to trek to the water (a long trek in some cases). The first set of bison I see (2 of them) have also created wallows --- I think its to escape these nasty bugs.

I just cross the fence and immediately see a coyote walking towards my car in the grass next to the road. (The grass is a little higher than the road here.)

I stop. Something is strange as he doesn't seem to have the "happy coyote trot" I usually see. I look up above him and about 20 ft away is a pronghorn. This coyote can't be stalking this adult pronghorn??!!

I get out of my car (standing right outside my driver's door) to watch what happens. And sure enough, this coyote slowly walks past the antelope and turns back getting very low to the ground. The pronghorn is watching him and looks at me. (I should point out, at least 2 cars stopped to see what I was looking at but all they saw was the pronghorn --- they're missing something special going on here.) The pronghorn takes a few steps down towards my car and stares at the coyote. The coyote creeps closer. Then the pronghorn attacks the coyote, head down (horns forward) and rushes him into the fence.

Then the pronghorn walks away -- I guess expecting the coyote to take off. But nope, the coyote starts the stalk over again. The pronghorn waits a little and goes at the coyote again. Chasing him down the fence line towards my car!

I'm expecting the coyote and pronghorn to run across the road right behind my car. But there's a drainage culvert next to the road which the coyote ducks into -- the pronghorn looking down into the hole.

I didn't see the coyote come out the other end so maybe he finally playing it safe. But the pronghorn, crossed right behind my car. He stood in the middle of the road (I'm 10-15ft away). Looking around. Then walked down the road to the other side of the fence. Stopped, looked around and then dropped down towards the leg. How cool was that!! And I was right there watching it happen (that made horrific hike worth the trip!!)

Adventure over, time to move on. I see a few more bison down by the water. And then I see a large bird standing on the "beach". I zoom in with my camera and its a Sandhill Crane!! (When I was here with my sister, we saw what I thought were cranes but the DNR guy told me they were probably Blue Heron cause he had seen 2 that morning. I doubted myself because I don't remember seeing the pterodactyl shape that a heron has -- now after seeing this crane, I think I was right!)

As I continue down the island, there's more and more bison. I think the island's entire bison population is over here lining the bay or the mountains. Huge herds. I'm looking for babies but nothing yet. I see 2 deer in the brush by the bay. (That's 5 for the day and 2 herds -- the most deer I've ever since!).

Finally I get to a herd that has babies. Little reddish brown cuties. They are laying down, walking by Mom, playing. So fun to watch!

There's another herd a bit further down where there are 3 (probably 1-2yr old males) practicing their fighting skills. They are non-stop: chasing, fighting, wallowing, chasing. Too cool.

There one little baby running around them.

I make it to the Ranch and see if I can find the Owls. I do find a perch with a twig nest. Not sure if that's the owl nest or some other bird -- but nothing it. But not disappointed in the least, just can't believe the adventure I had going down the east side of the island.

Now I get to go back!!

I see a coyote running on the beach towards the bison. I didn't stop to watch (because he had a bit of distance to cover before reaching the herd -- but that might have been fun to watch, especially with the babies running around).

I was coming up on a bison herd on the mountain side of the road. I see 4 animals running towards the bison - they're deer and they are in an all out sprint. I can't see anything chasing them but there must be a coyote in the grasses somewhere. Once the deer reach the herd, they stop running. They look back but just walk among the bison, crossing right in back to them! Neither species seem alarmed or care. The deer continue down towards the road. (3 herds today!!0 Time for me to move on.

So it was a tale of 2 half days for me. One battling the swarms of gnats on a hike/run (I'm sure I'll be itching for days from the bites); and the other watching a pronghorn/coyote interaction, a Sandhill Crane, and tons of bison (including playing babies and juveniles). A perfect ending!!!