Its a sunny day with the inversion haze in place. Visibility is still pretty good today which is awesome especially when looking for animals on the island.
We make good time getting to the island and have about 1 hour to cruise the island before the sun sets around 5:13.
We head south towards the Ranch. Not surprising, there are no animals to be seen until after Frary Peak and the first animal is a Porcupine! He up a tree and since it's dusk, he's actually moving (not the normal sleeping ones I see in the daytime). I can see his paw and head moving from my car. We stop, cross the street and walk through the grasses to his tree. There he is munching on the tree bark - we listen to him chew. Very cool! (I so wish I had my camera but the cell will do.)
Back in the car, we pass a few more porcupines before I just catch a glimpse of a large buck near some trees just as I pass by. I stop the car and back up until we have great view. Again, out of the car and across the street where we watch on the side of the road. The buck is watching us but still grazing.
Then as I look around, there's another smaller buck lying in the grasses actually closer to us!!
After a bit, the smaller buck gets up and moves toward the larger one.
Another car stops along the road and the bucks start moving away. Time to move on.
Along the rest of the way to the Ranch, we spot about 10 bison in the distance against the mountains and another herd near Mushrooms Springs. (Basically, they haven't moved much since Sunday but both herds are smaller in size.)
We have some time so we stop at the Ranch to look for the Great Horned Owls. I find one of the owls in the same tree/same branch as the prior two times this Fall. (This is the 1st Owl for my nephew.)
We move around and are soon standing under the Owl, when my nephew asks if a blob in a nearby tree is an owl's nest. Nope, it's another Porcupine. He's as far as he can be on a branch as the branch is bobbing up and down as he moves his arms trying to reach the fruits farther down the branch. He can't reach them but he's sure trying.
As we turn, something falls from the nearby tree. I don't think anything of it but my nephew spots the 2nd owl not far (maybe 10 ft) from the 1st owl. And the item that fell is an owl pellet! This is the first time I've seen both owls near each other!
And that's most likely because they start nesting in January (which is now)!!
And that's most likely because they start nesting in January (which is now)!!
Well, it's now about 5pm, time to race up the island and then up the hill to the Bison Point parking lot on the west side. Our original plan was to go to the top of Bison Point but the sun is already setting so we watch just a little ways up the trail. Amazing!!
Now that's a perfect evening!
