{"id":101646,"date":"2021-08-24T05:55:46","date_gmt":"2021-08-24T11:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=101646"},"modified":"2021-08-24T05:55:46","modified_gmt":"2021-08-24T11:55:46","slug":"lamenting-the-disappearing-great-salt-lake-and-its-effect-on-our-falcons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/24\/lamenting-the-disappearing-great-salt-lake-and-its-effect-on-our-falcons\/","title":{"rendered":"Lamenting The Disappearing Great Salt Lake And Its Effect On Our Falcons"},"content":{"rendered":"

Especially Peregrine Falcons and Prairie Falcons but other falcons too. Not to mention all the other birds that, directly or indirectly, rely on the lake,<\/p>\n

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Until just a few years ago the lake used to come right up to the Antelope Island causeway for much of its length. Many of my photos of falcons and other birds taken from the causeway include the lakeshore in the background, even at my extreme focal lengths. Ducks and shorebirds abounded and the predatory falcons took full advantage of the bounty.<\/p>\n

This young Peregrine Falcon was resting between bouts of hunting waterfowl close to shore along the causeway. The photo was taken in March of 2016.<\/p>\n

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You’ve seen this Prairie Falcon before even though this photo is new to my blog. The falcon had killed the Shoveler out on the water and then waited for it to be blown to shore along the causeway before claiming its prize. The photo was taken in November of 2012.<\/p>\n

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Scenes like this just aren’t to be seen anymore. The shore of the lake is so far away from the island and causeway, and they’re separated by so much relatively sterile mudflat, that birds of any feather are few and far between.<\/p>\n

It used to be far from uncommon to see Peregrine and Prairie Falcons along the causeway and on the island itself and during the winter I could almost count on seeing one of the larger falcon species on most trips I made to the island. But today I can’t even remember the last time I saw a Peregrine or Prairie on or near the island. They come for the ducks (mostly) and if there are no ducks they don’t come. If my hazy memory serves, the last one I saw was a lone Prairie Falcon some distance north of the island Manager’s residence and that was perhaps 2-3 years ago.<\/p>\n

What’s happened and continues to happen to the lake makes me incredibly angry. The causes of the lake’s continuing rapid demise are complicated and nuanced but It didn’t have to be anywhere near this bad.<\/p>\n

I thank my local and national politicians for that.<\/p>\n

Ron<\/p>\n

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Notes:<\/em><\/p>\n