![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/burrowing-owl-2179c-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"burrowing-owl-2179c-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nOn the island if it isn’t one thing it’s another.<\/p>\n
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1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n The morning I photographed this Burrowing Owl in May of 2013 may have been the windiest morning I’ve ever spent on Antelope Island. At the time I estimated that gusts were blowing at about 40 mph and later that day winds reached 82 mph. As a result this little fella wasn’t having any fun.<\/p>\n For this shot he turned his back to the howling south winds and stood erect for a moment which ruffled the feathers on the back of his head. But he spent much of his time hunkered down and facing into the wind before “he” escaped to the calm of his burrow.<\/p>\n Notice the whitish sand at his feet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Image in Public Domain<\/em><\/p>\n Much of the sand on the island and elsewhere around the Great Salt Lake is composed of “oolites” – tiny egg shaped concentric layers of calcium carbonate that precipitate around a central core, usually brine shrimp poop. They form in shallow, agitated water as they roll around in the waves and gradually accumulate more layers. “Oolitic” means egg or egg-shaped.<\/p>\n Oolitic sand forms in very few places in the world. The photo above shows oolitic sand from the Bahamas but it looks very similar to the sand on the island.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Oolitic sand is what I call an “idiot trap”. Attempting to drive on it is like trying to drive on layers of microscopic marbles – it simply can’t be done because your powered wheels just sink straight down into the sand. Countless signs on the island tell visitors to “Stay On Pavement” but there’s always a few “privileged” folks who think rules don’t apply to them.<\/p>\n This clown thought his front wheel drive would allow him to drive on it when no one was looking. He was wrong so he immediately got stuck. This photo was taken very early in the morning and the car was abandoned. The driver must have spent a very uncomfortable night on the island.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Almost exactly one year later another car got stuck in exactly the same place when the driver attempted to go off the pavement. Park personnel have now placed barriers in this spot in an attempt to make it idiot-proof. Good luck with that – idiots are ingenious and persistent at being idiots.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In an attempt to control the spread of Covid-19 Antelope Island has been closed to all visitors except residents of Davis County for weeks but two days ago it was reopened to all Utah residents. Utahans have been cooped up for so long that yesterday there was a 45 minute wait just to get on the island as cars backed up at the entrance station so drivers could pay their fees.<\/p>\n And to make matters worse, much worse, the island reopened just in time for the full-blown emergence of the dreaded biting gnats (no-see-ums). There are clouds of those nasty little bastards everywhere and they’re guaranteed to make any visit to the island a truly miserable experience unless you keep your windows rolled up and never get out of your vehicle. Mosquito netting and insect repellant are both ineffective against them – the only thing that works is micro-netting.<\/p>\n But finding micro-netting isn’t easy. It’s kind of in the same category as toilet paper, hand sanitizer and face masks so good luck if you plan on visiting the island anytime soon.<\/p>\n Be prepared to deal with itching and weeping bites for days after your visit, especially on your scalp but really anywhere that was exposed to them.<\/p>\n And your vocabulary will almost certainly be increased by more than a few new cuss words.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/oolitic-sand-public-domain.jpg\" "\\"oolitic-sand-public-domain\\"")
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<\/p>\n![\"jetta](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/jetta-8223-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"jetta-8223-ron-dudley\\"")
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