![\"\"](\"http:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/antelope-island-7538.jpg\" "\\"Antelope")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe north end of Antelope Island at sunrise\u00a0as seen from the causeway access road<\/em><\/p>\n There is a 7 mile long causeway road that provides the only access to the island, which is actually a peninsula when the Great Salt Lake water levels are low.\u00a0 It’s common to see a variety of wildlife along this causeway including coyotes sprinting at the first sight of an early morning vehicle, American Kestrels, Northern Harriers, Burrowing Owls, Common Ravens and a variety of waterfowl and shorebirds\u00a0where the water comes closer to the causeway.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Approaching the north end of Antelope Island<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n As you get closer to the island the water comes right up to the causeway’s edge and typically there’s hordes of waterfowl and shorebirds very close to the road.\u00a0 In the photo above, several shoreline levels of ancient Lake Bonneville can be seen where wave action eroded “benches” in the sides of the old sloping shoreline.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0 White Rock Bay as seen from Buffalo Point<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n In the above photo you get a feeling for just how shallow much of the Great Salt Lake is.\u00a0 An increase in water level of just a few inches would return the lake edge all the way\u00a0to the semicircular shoreline to the left.\u00a0 The white sand you see between the water’s edge and that shoreline is called oolitic (egg) sand.\u00a0 Each grain is egg-shaped\u00a0because it is produced by concentric layers of calcium carbonate that precipitate around a core of brine shrimp\u00a0fecal pellets.\u00a0 A handful of it feels very lightweight compared to the same amount of\u00a0 traditional silica sand.\u00a0\u00a0 More ancient levels of old Lake Bonneville can also be seen on the side of the background mountain\u00a0in this view.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0 Tintic Quartzite boulder and rocks\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The northern third of the island is littered with boulders and rocks made of 550 million year old\u00a0Tintic Quartzite\u00a0which was deposited at the bottom of an ancient shallow sea.\u00a0 These rocks are striking but they don’t make very good perches for bird photography because they’re so bright, unless you have early morning light.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0 Farmington Canyon Complex rocks on Antelope Island\u00a0<\/p>\n The rocks on the southern two-thirds of the island are part of a geological formation called the Farmington Canyon complex.\u00a0 This formation is 2.7 billion years old which is even older than the rocks at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.\u00a0 These rocks make more appealing perches for bird photography because of their darker color but I’ve had a devil of a time finding many cooperative birds on them for some reason.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Bison on the lower slopes of\u00a0Antelope Island<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Antelope Island is probably best known for its large free roaming bison herd.\u00a0 Twelve animals were introduced there in 1893 and they were the core of the herd that today numbers between 500 and 700 individuals.\u00a0 Most of the islands 40 major fresh water springs are found on the east slope so the bison often congregate in these areas for the water and the green grass.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Bison trails on the east slope<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n What may appear to be a dirt road running diagonally through the photo above is actually a bison trail leading down to the springs at the base of the island.\u00a0 The thinner lines are feeder trails.\u00a0 It’s not uncommon to see many animals coming down these trails in the mornings.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Pronghorn male<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Another common and conspicuous large mammal on the island is the Pronghorn.\u00a0 Often called Antelope or Pronghorn Antelope, they are not an antelope at all.\u00a0 They are the only surviving species of family Antilocapridae.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n