Yesterday was a day of highs and lows on Antelope Island.
I almost didn’t go. As soon as I got on the road I came very close to turning around and going back home because I could see that it was cloudy up north. I pulled into the Smith’s parking lot near my home and sat there for nearly five minutes while I tried to decide what to do.
In the end I literally said to myself “To hell with it, I’m cocked and loaded so let’s go”. And that’s what I did.
1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 1600, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Once again I found Burrowing Owls in quite a few places on the north end of the island. Because of the clouds, I didn’t have very good light most of the time but for this early morning shot I had filtered and very warm light.
I cropped this photo as I did to highlight the owl’s mullein perch. Sometimes I wonder how those spindly stems can support an owl but the owls seem to love using them.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 2000, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
This is the same owl on the same perch but by then I had moved my shooting location and the light had changed so it looks different. While the owl was preening it lost its balance. This single wing out posture is the bird’s attempt at regaining it.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Later in the morning I captured this White-faced Ibis flying past clouds of brine flies with Great Salt Lake in the background. In a minute you’ll see why I’m including this photo in a post about owls and fire.
It was my intention to post quite a few Burrowing Owl photos this morning but my heart isn’t in it. Several hours after I got home yesterday, I learned that a wildfire had broken out on the island – in the very area where I’d spent much of the morning.
This is a Utah Fire Info aerial photo of the fire while it was still actively burning. For reference I’ve labeled several significant locations with red numbers.
- #1. Antelope Island Visitor Center. The center is an active construction site because they’re building a brand new one.
- #2. Antelope Island Marina. Yesterday I spent some time photographing brine fly-eating birds at the marina.
- #3. This is where the Antelope Island causeway road meets the island.
- #4. The ibis photo above was taken here yesterday morning.
Depending on whose numbers you believe, the fire burned 59-85 acres. That might seem fairly insignificant compared to the 2016 wildfire that burned nearly half of the island’s 30,000 acres but this fire consumed prime sagebrush habitat between the visitor center and the causeway entrance to the island. Sagebrush can take a few years to return after a fire, but it can take decades for it to dominate the landscape again. Sometimes it never comes back.
So this fire scar will be the view that greets visitors to the island for a very long time. And I suspect that the plans for the new visitor center include educational facilities that are/were meant to incorporate the prime sagebrush habitat directly below the center. If so, so much for plans…
It’s been determined that the fire, which began “near the visitor center”, was human caused. They haven’t yet announced who caused it but many of us suspect the cause was related to construction activities at the visitor center.
As of early this morning the island is still closed.
Ron
Aaargh. Great photos but the news of the fire caused my heart to sink. They are so often human caused and wreak such destruction. Fingers and toes crossed.
Thanks, EC. As of three hours ago the island reopened, so there’s that.
Well you made if farther than I did yesterday, I got up yesterday with the intention of stopping by the island early since I need to be in the general direction but as you said it was cloudy. With the busy schedule I had for my day I opted out of an island trip. I heard about the fire about noon while in Centerville. I had wondered why I could not see the island from the interstate, the air was very smoky. With all the spiders and increase in burrowing owls my heart sunk. I hoped the juvenile birds would be flighted enough to move out of harms way. When I did see the aerial view my heart sunk more, it is such a lush sage and rabbit brush habitat. Meadowlarks, mockingbirds, chukar, burrowing owls, rabbits, often mule deer and coyotes all inhabit the area. It is also a prime location for the orb weaver spiders, so abundant again this year. It looks like the winds took the fire toward the east more than westerly. I saw many posts about the burrowing owls not being in the area. There are two burrows I know of in the area just slightly south west, very close to fire line, below the visitor center in your aerial image. I have an image of the one of those burrows from a morning the end of June, when I watched a photographer walking toward the burrow and later commando crawling with his big ass lens and tripod. The owls are looking at him. in my photo, I will post it on my FB. It is just a documentary image. I was parked on the road facing east. Both burrows are just west of the current construction at the visitor center but east of the road. It will take a long time for the habitat to recover, as you say if ever. Sadly the cheatgrass will be quickly to move back in hindering other grass and plants. I am happy it was contained relatively fast, most likely due to location. The last huge fire was devastating. Sage had not yet returned to many of those areas.
And I do love the image of the owl with the outstretched wing. The light has been very warm with the smoky skies from fires in our state and nearby states.
April, I suspect there are owl burrows in the burned area. There often have been in the past. In fact, the very first Burrowing Owls I ever saw on the island were in the burned area. I hope I’m wrong.
And you’re right about the likelihood of cheatgrass becoming dominant in the area.
Beautiful photos Ron. I especially love the first owl photo and the great look at those incredible talons.
I’m really sorry to hear about the fire. I think people are still learning how to avoid fires in our ever-increasingly hot, dry, and windy climate. I hope some important lessons will be learned here and taken to heart. And I hope the ecosystem recovers quickly.
Thanks, Bill – especially for the good wishes for the island. It could use them.
Well darn those fires. Have them on the Wyoming/Montana borders too; We need rain everywhere. Hope the little Owls make it ok.
I hope so too, Trudy. They’re so vulnerable at that age.
Excellent photos and story Ron. Love those eyes. The mature owl would weigh 5 ounces according to Sibley. It is always remarkable how birds of all kinds and weights can perch on something so unstable looking. Shame about the fires, but they are everywhere here in the west, Arizona, California, Utah, New Mexico, and elsewhere.
Thanks, Everett. Yes, wildfires are omnipresent and that’s tragic.
Amazing how those owls can utilize such a flimsy plant as a perch.
Seems like “construction activity” is an all too common cause of fire; Antelope Island, Notre Dame cathedral, my neighbors house…all preventable and so sad to see.
Michael, you make a valid point about construction activity.
Ron, I dearly love the burrowing owl perched on the mullein sage. For me it is one of my favorite of all your photos. My heart sank when I saw the arial photo of the fire and the explanation. The eco system in your area is so fragile. I cannot understand why extreme precautions were not taken to prevent starting a brush fire. And I keep thinking about the Great Salt Lake and how “management” has all but destroyed it. It seems we humans are hell-bent on causing our own demise by destroying our beautiful planet.
“I cannot understand why extreme precautions were not taken to prevent starting a brush fire.”
Melanie, about a week ago I was talking to Wendy Wilson, manager of Antelope Island State Park. She told me that the very next day fire officials were scheduled to visit the island and reevaluate fire conditions. She expected them to elevate the restrictions to, among other things, ban campfires. On July 16 they did exactly that. While I was there yesterday I saw signs banning campfires.
But I don’t know if construction personnel pay much attention to fire restrictions, or not. Not that they’d be building campfires, but elevated restrictions affect lots of different activities. Presumably even construction.
Glad you went yesterday and hope all the owls were able to escape! Luv the “traffic cop” photo….. 😉 The Ibis are one of those ugly/beautiful birds – luv the irridescence showing in it’s feathers. Have only seen them once in this area several years ago.
Recovery from fire can take many years and, as you noted, may change things permanently – natures way but sure doesn’t need human “help”.
Another scorcher today and fire weather watch out – hope some idiot doesn’t get another one going – they figure about half of the MT fires right now are human caused. Smoke doesn’t seem quite as bad this morning.
Thanks, Judy. I’m glad I went too. I just wish I’d somehow been prescient and taken some photos of the area that was burned before the fire. I certainly had the opportunity.
I feel so badly for all the animals who have to contend with the
new state of our world , especially in the wild lands. After seeing
your first photo, I realized that I’ve always seen Burrowing owls
pictured STANDING on the ground–are they very strong fliers ?
Yes, they’re good fliers, Kris.
I worry about the owls whose burrows are within the fire’s boundaries. I hope all the youngsters were old enough to escape the fire.
Like the shot of the owl regaining his balance. The single wing extension is amusing. Summer & wildfires – ugh. Especially when caused by people which is inexcusable.
Thanks, Kathleen. As my good friend Jim DeWitt noted, “The Anthropocene is a time of fire,”
Thank you for the word of the day – Anthropocene – that’s a new one for me!
Jim DeWitt gets the credit.
Ron,
It would be very helpful for those of us with color vision deficiency if you would choose a different color from red when you label things in your photos. I could not identify a single thing you were trying to show us today. Perhaps yellow (or even good old black or white) would be better. Thanks!
Interesting, Thomas. I hadn’t even considered that possibility. Aren’t some folks deficient in some of those other colors too?
I do not have a color vision deficiency however I believe black and white are the colors that can be identified by all regardless of their color acuity. The most common colors that are difficult to distinguish are Red, Green and Blue. I would think that is a very real problem when it comes to stop lights.
Melanie, in the future I’ll keep that in mind. The potential problem is, sometimes those suggested colors don’t stand out well against the colors in the photo.
I have that problem with closed captioning on my TV!