Spring Wildflowers and Coyotes on Antelope Island
On my last visit to Antelope Island State Park five days ago I noticed that some of the wildflowers have started to bloom including Gray's Biscuitroot and Redstem Filaree.
On my last visit to Antelope Island State Park five days ago I noticed that some of the wildflowers have started to bloom including Gray's Biscuitroot and Redstem Filaree.
The last time I went to Antelope Island State Park I noticed that the Chukars were more visible than they have been for awhile and I also noticed a tiny wildflower called Redstem Filaree starting to green up.
Happy Valentine's Day! I never much cared for cut flowers and prefer to see them in nature so today I present a wet American White Waterlily I photographed in 2007 at Sawgrass Lake Park in Florida.
The opposite of cold, gray, windy and rainy is summertime in my mind so I thought that today I would post some thing from a warmer, brighter and calmer day and what could be more summery than a Black-chinned Hummingbird feeding on Rocky Mountain Bee Plant?
Yesterday I mentioned that I had D.W.B. (Dreary Weather Blues) and after a nice email from a friend last night who reminded me that it is only 7 weeks until the spring equinox I now have the D.O.T.S, better known as Dreaming Of The Sun.
Just a quick post this morning of a tiny Calliope Hummingbird feeding on Rocky Mountain Bee Plant that I photographed at the end of August.
Well, I made it through another week. Bird photography has been slow down here in the valley but there are signs migration is picking up. There was a decided nip to the air yesterday morning and I saw some frost on the ground while heading towards Antelope Island.
After looking at these images that I took last Friday I am wondering if this hummingbird that I photographed is a female Broad-tailed Hummingbird.
Yesterday I went back to the island to see if I could photograph more hummingbirds and they did not disappoint so I thought I would share two more images of them.
I believe these are Calliope Hummingbirds but if I am wrong please do not hesitate to correct me, I don't get upset about things like that.
The Prickly Poppy is well named because the leaves and flower stems do have spines on them.
There are seasonal cycles on Antelope Island State park, winter turns to spring, spring to summer, summer to fall and fall to winter but there are also yearly cycles for the wildflowers that bloom on the island too.
Earlier this week I was enthralled to see the Alaska Basin that straddles Idaho and Montana and winds through Beaverhead National Forest and Targhee National Forest.
For all the Moms out there, for the ones who are with us and those who have gone, Happy Mothers Day. We blossomed because of you.
Last week I was Thinking Pink so this week I thought I would focus on the shades of blues found in wildflowers, birds, the sky and seas.
I photographed this Lance-leaved Arrowhead at Roosevelt Wetland in Pinellas County, Florida several years ago.
Rocky Mountain Bee Plants (Cleomella serrulata) are one of the wildflowers that are currently in bloom on Antelope Island State Park in some locations, they aren't as widespread as the Moth Mulleins so I treasure finding them.
I haven't posted a Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) for a while and thought I would share this one taken earlier this week on Antelope Island State Park in northern Utah today.
I believe these are Silvery Lupine (Lupinus argenteus), taken on my recent trip to southwestern Montana using my bird setup to do a close up image.
Large groups of Teasels; an introduced "weed", caught my eye in the early morning light
I liked that this spring time Chukar perched on a rock where a few of the Redstem Filaree were visible.
Yesterday while I was out photographing Long-billed Curlews this California Gull (Larus californicus) flew in so close that all I could do was take portraits of the bird.
Outside my window the winds are howling this morning and there is a thick layer of gray clouds hanging low in the sky. It isn't a good day to be out in the field so I have been going through my image archives and pulled out two images of a Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) doe from last spring to post.
Although Peppervine is considered a problem by some people because of their growth habit I think in the natural setting of Saw Grass County Park it fits in quite wonderfully.
This is part 2 of my three part series on Wild and Wonderful Antelope Island State Park and it covers some of the wildlife that can be found howling, grazing, buzzing and posing for my camera.
I can't acquire focus on the Lunatic Sage Thrashers because they don't ever stay still long enough, they race around willy-nilly until dizziness forces me to stop watching them. Think Ricochet Rabbit.
I've spent a few days out on Antelope Island State Park this past week and from all appearances spring is making its debut.