April 12 - White Rock Trail (Antelope Island)

Record setting temperature day; sunny with highs near 80 degrees.

Skipping out on my extra 4 hours of work for next week to head up to Antelope Island. (The clock is ticking before the bitey swarms of bugs hatch.)

I arrive on the causeway to sunny and wind and 50 degrees at around 8:30.

The population of Avocets continue to increase and I'm sure many other shorebirds but all I can really see speeding down the causeway are the Avocets.

Arriving on the Island, I head south towards the Ranch.

There are 5 bison behind the Visitors Center.

Just before the pull-out, I see a Willet to my left on the rocks.

I make a stop downhill from the pull-out and find a single Burrowing Owl.

And I see another group of 5 bison down by the lake's edge.

When I reach the Beacon Hill area, I find a good-sized herd of bison on the lake bed and a single Pronghorn laying nearby.

Across the street on the hillside, is the other 1/2 of the bison group. They are walking east presumably to meet up with the ones on the lake bed.

I search both herds and find babies. (They've got to be coming soon.)

Just before the Frary Peak turn-off, I find 5 bison on the lake side on the other side.

Continuing on, there's another large herd of bison again on the lake bed.

A bit farther is yet another large herd on bison on the lake bed.

Just before the Ranch, I see a lone bison on the lake bed heading north.

I arrive at the Ranch, I find no bison/antelope/deer. I think about hiking Sentry Peak but decide to head back and hike Beacon Hill.

I see a herd of 4 bison near the Ranch as I start back.

When I arrive back at Beacon Hill, the bison that were on the hill side are finishing up crossing the street. Some of them are just reaching the other part of the herd and the Pronghorn seems freaked out with the outcoming surge of bison.

I head to the Gravel Pit and when I arrive, I find a few bison on top of the ridge. Well, that hike is out. Time to head to White Rock. And I guess that's good because I have not hiked White Rock since the Fall.

There's only 3 other cars when I arrive. I gear up and head off.

I enter the gate and find they are building another fence about 10 feet inside the existing one. Not sure why they are building it but perhaps they are going to expand parking. I'm sure I'll find out. But the new trail along the fence sucks but it'll get better as more people walk/bike along it.

Sad sign of allowing dogs in parks; I find 3 pink doggy poop bags in the 1st 200 yards of the trail. (And they are still there when I pass back thru 2.5 hour later.) People suck!

But the trail is a bunch of pink flowers which looks awesome.

On that first 200-300 yards I find 3 Curlew on the ground basically together - awesome!

I reach the top of the hill and look around. Hey! There are 3 bison on the lake bed!!

I start the loop in a clockwise direction. I find that the Phlox are up but no buds yet. There is Bisquitroot, those pink flowers and Spring Parsley. And I see my 2nd butterfly of the year; a Common Checkered Skipper!!

The walk to Beacon Hill is quiet. No critters to be seen.

Reaching White Rock meadow, there are no bison still hanging around.

As I'm coming down to the ridge, I see a lizard (1st of the year) scamper into his hole.

And I get a chance to look down on that now merged herd of bison (and one Pronghorn)

Crossing the ridge, a white butterfly zips past. Have no idea what he is.

I decide to take the inner trail and yes, the Death Camas is up but not blooming.

The inner trail is lit up with pink flowers.

And there are lots of Common Checkered Skippers and pretty brownish pattern moths.

I also see a couple of white butterflies and another Curlew (he's making a bunch of calls).

As I'm nearing the west side, I see a lone bison heading north on the lake bed.

As I trek down the west side, I see another white butterfly and track him off-trail. He was nice enough to stop.

Then it's back to my car and a drive home.

Oh, on that drive home I see a female pheasant in the dirt median of the highway.

Awesome day!