It's a cold one this morning - temps around 20 degrees. It's supposed to be sunny but it's pretty cloudy as I leave my house.
And it's still cloudy when I arrive on the causeway just after 8am. It's cold, frozen, very grey looking except an orange patch of sky somewhere south of Salt Lake. Hoping that orange get's here before I start my hike.
Nothing happening along the causeway until I reach open water by the bridge. There's plenty of ducks hanging out in that open water on the Salt Lake side. (It's a black blob of ducks!)
Passing by the docks, surprise, there's Bald Eagle perched!!! (I'm not surprised to see them now as we've been way below normal highs for a couple of weeks now.)
I arrive on the island and head south towards the Ranch. No animals behind the Visitor's Center but I do spot 3 bison south of the fence line.
Amazingly quiet except for the 2 porcupine in the trees all the way past the Frary Homestead.
(Unless one considers the guy in the truck who thinks he's in Europe driving on the wrong side of the road looking for animals or the two trucks with about 10 men and spotting their scopes basically blocking the south-bound lane of traffic looking for critters in the mountains. Strange.)
Finally, I spot a small herd of Pronghorn near the shoreline (yea!)
Driving maybe 30 feet farther down the road, there's a small herd near the road looking at me.
I continue down to the Ranch. Still no sun but there's blue sky to the west. Don't usually hike with temps in the low 20s and no sun but I'm pretty sure the sun is coming (and there's no wind) so off I go.
As I walk down the dirt road towards the Sentry Trail, I spot some Pronghorn in the distance to the west. They are moving towards Mushroom Springs.
I also continue my record year of Pheasant sightings as I see 3 Pheasant in a fenced area just passed the Ranch. (And I hear a coyote howling - just briefly.)
The pheasant fly before I can get near.
I reach the trail head and start towards Mushroom Springs. In the distance to the south, I see a herd of bison along the slopes -- just tiny black spots.
As I get closer to the Springs, I spot more Pronghorn north of me but they are moving towards Mushroom Springs.
I lose them in the rolling landscape. But soon a couple of them sprint across the road in front of me. I stop because I know more are coming. And they keep coming!!
They stop just past the trail for all of them to arrive and trot off to the south. I can still see them when they finally stop.
I arrive a Mushroom Springs and keep following the trail. There's still no sun and my feet are getting cold. Need some sun soon!!
But I start heading up the hill, I see more Pronghorn to the south. This herd is closer to the mountains.
I make my way up to the first switchback
and then start crossing.
As I reach the end, there's still no sun and my left foot is frozen. I'm sure the sun is coming but I need to head down. (There'll be more opportunities this winter.)
Back down the Mushroom Springs and then east to the road. I see yet another herd of Pronghorn to the north.
Again moving towards Mushroom Springs. (Lots of Pronghorn on the move today!)
On the drive back north, that first herd of Pronghorn near the shoreline, well, they're still there but now they are all laying down.
A bit farther north, I spot a coyote trotting south along the shoreline.
No other animals sightings all the way back to the causeway (including the loop around the Visitor's Center).
The eagle that was perched by the docks earlier is gone.
Just east of the bridge, I see a large black bird on the ice.
I spot to check him out -- it's a Bald Eagle!
I don't see any feathers on the ice so I'm pretty sure he's not feeding on the duck.
Finally, as I'm about ready to exit the park, I see a Kestrel perched on a sign.
Great day!
