I probably won’t be visiting Antelope Island again anytime soon.
Three days ago, after a mostly unsuccessful morning attempting to find and photograph birds on Antelope Island, I was determined to find at least one interesting bird along the causeway on my way home that was close enough for photos.
I found only one.
1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
It was a Long-billed Curlew, a male I believe, lounging along the shore close to the west bridge. He was the only curlew I saw all morning. He spent a lot of time preening but he always had his back to me.
1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Near the end of his first preening session he performed a leisurely wing stretch, revealing that he was likely molting.
The setting isn’t attractive but it’s biologically interesting. Those darker masses near his feet and behind him are brine flies. I believe most or all of them were dead by now because I didn’t notice any of them moving or flying, as they typically do whenever a bird gets close to them.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Eventually he moved out into the water and continued preening, which at least made for a more attractive setting. As the waves moved through the frame in my viewfinder they actually made me dizzy, a phenomenon I’ve noticed before in similar situations.
After 14 years of visiting Antelope Island on a regular basis (often 2-3 times per week), it’s likely that I won’t be going back anytime soon. I’m not a fan of all the recent development there, which has significantly increased traffic and crowds, destroyed habitat, negatively impacted birds and wildlife and essentially ruined the wild “feel” of much of the island – especially on the north end. Several areas of good habitat that for years have been great for bird photography are now closed off to visitors. Others have been destroyed by development. And with the scheduled renovation and major expansion of the visitor center, which will triple its size, it’s only going to get worse. Much worse.
Since I just become frustrated and angry every time I go to the island, why go?
State Parks calls all the recent development, including the scheduled $13 million expansion of the visitor center, an “improvement”. I see it differently and I can assure you that I’m far from the only one who feels that way.
Ron
Hiss and spit. And other less printable things. That is two days in a row you have made me start my day (it is not yet five here) with expletives. Increasingly progress and improvement are filthy words in my eyes.
“That is two days in a row you have made me start my day with expletives.”
Just trying to expand your already extensive ‘blue” vocabulary, EC. Ever the teacher… 🙂
That long bill is the perfect backscratcher!
Antelope Island is where the Bison are? What will all the “improvements” mean for them? With all the birds gone and destruction of the island, it’ll be interesting to see how the expanded visitors center promotes things.
A recent OpEd in the Seattle Times was decrying the media promotion of Mt. Ranier as a perfect viewing spot for the Perseid meteor shower – huge crowds arrived in RVs, etc, rowdy, belligerent, rude, partying, ignoring the trails and “No Camping” signs, tramping all over the fragile plants in the meadows. The writer is a biologist, he was practically weeping as he described the destruction of little plants that take 100 years to grow. 😢
Carolyn, I doubt the “improvements” will have much effect on the bison. They have plenty of room to roam on remote parts of the island and they’re not bothered much by people anyway. Those guys can take care of themselves.
Parts of Utah, Piute County in particular – think Marysvale and the Big Rock Candy Mountain area, – are trying to prepare for huge and disruptive crowds during the upcoming annular eclipse.
Lovely photos, agree it’s not the same. Between Antelope Island and Farmington Bay, my heart aches when I visit more than it is filled with joy these days.
April, I feel the same way about both places.
Excellent post of a bird I have only seen once here. In birds of Prescott we show them as uncommon and only during migrations.
Sure with you on development and the changes it often brings to nature and birding opportunities etc. Just too many of us and remarkable how growth here in the west continues even though we have serious lack of water issues.
Thanks, Everett. “Too many of us” is certainly a big part of the equation but misplaced priorities figures into it too.
Never has there been a word that embodied the two-edged sword metaphor as has the word “progress”.
Succinctly and exceptionally well said, Michael.
Sensational series!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks.
$$$ over wildlife as usual it seems….. 🙁 Curlews are always a treat for me……. 🙂 He DOES appear to be molting! Is it a seasonal die off of the brine flies?
“Is it a seasonal die off of the brine flies?”
It is, Judy. It happens every year about now. At least this year there were some brine flies to die off. Last year there weren’t.
I really liked the last photo–I could “hear” the lap of the incoming waves–makes for a gentle background stage for the curlew’s
busy patterns–I guess because of the preening, all of those
feathers are standing up very decoratively! A hope—-
maybe because of the expansion construction, people will get out of the “habit” of coming to the island for a year or so, and will
temporarily forget it as a destination ?
Kris, that construction traffic (huge trucks etc) is going to be a big mess for a long time.
I so love the third photo. The feathers show so beautifully!! As always, thank you so much for these glimpses of bird life I would never see otherwise. Sorry about the destruction (I’d call it) on Antelope Island. What a species we are! Too smart for our own good. Thank you so much for your posts and come visit the forest next to us if you ever come East!
“The feathers show so beautifully.”
Thanks, Mary. That’s why I chose to post that particular photo.