![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/barn-owl-0558b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"barn-owl-0558b-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nFive of them. At least.<\/p>\n
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1\/80, f\/8, ISO 840, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Long-time aficionados of Antelope Island will remember the old abandoned semi-trailer that used to sit on the south side of the hay barn near the bison corrals. Barn Owls raised in the adjacent hay barn nest boxes would roost in the depths of the trailer where lots of junk was stored, including this jumbled mass of old painted and bird-whitewashed pipes that may have originally been a kid’s swing set or something similar.<\/p>\n Early in the morning of June 22, 2011 I found at least five of them perched on the pipes in the depths of the very dark trailer. I’ve always wondered if the faint patch of rusty-red we see above the head of the owl on the right was a sixth owl with just enough light on part of it to show up in some of my photos. It was so very dark back there I couldn’t really tell for sure. Or at least I can’t remember.<\/p>\n There was an old fragment of burlap? hanging down from the top of the trailer at upper right that was so bright white and distracting at this exposure I cloned it out. I don’t like to do that but in this case it seemed the lesser of two evils.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I’m having a very hard time adjusting to all the changes on Antelope Island in recent years. The drought and disappearing Great Salt Lake have created havoc with bird and wildlife populations and new construction projects have caused immense amounts of ecological damage. Human pressure on the island has increased dramatically, due in part to exploding visitation rates as a result of the pandemic, and the construction of a huge new campground certainly isn’t going to help in that regard. It’s only going to get much worse and very soon.<\/p>\n Because of increased visitation to the island the places visitors used to have access to are becoming much more tightly controlled and restricted. The very large group camping area at White Rock Bay is now gated off and available only to those reserving it (usually it sits empty except sometimes on weekends). Several parking areas surrounded by excellent bird and wildlife habitat are now closed during winter. The dirt road going south from Garr Ranch that became available only a few years ago now seems to be closed more often than it’s open, even when the road is dry.<\/p>\n I know, ‘progress’, but I don’t have to like it. If I wanted a Disneyland experience I’d go to Anaheim.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Note: <\/em><\/p>\n I certainly wouldn’t want my comments above to be construed as criticism of Antelope Island State Park management personnel. Nothing could be further from my intention. Jeremy Shaw and his staff and crew do an incredible job with a nearly impossible task, especially at a time of decreased funding and a stretched-thin staff. As a retired government employee in Utah I think I have more than just an inkling of the political and economic pressures they must be under from politicians and state government officials.<\/em><\/p>\n