Banding Burrowing Owls

Most people are pretty familiar with at least a few types of owls. Big, nocturnal birds, nesting high in trees or maybe barns. But did you know not all owls nest above ground, nor are all owls nocturnal?

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to help band several burrowing owls. As the name suggests, these owls nest in underground burrows. They are also one of the few owls that can often be seen during the day.

And they aren't very big. One birder compared them to the size of a pop can, which is pretty accurate.

Most of the owls we were able to capture and band were juveniles, just hatched this year, but the adults aren't really much bigger.

Burrowing owls don't dig their own burrows. They use existing burrows, either naturally formed, or excavated previously by another ground dwelling animal, such as a badger. They will also readily use man-made structures, such as underground nest boxes.

To trap the young, we placed a "live trap" in the entrance of the burrow with entrance flaps that only open inward. So as the owls emerge from the burrow, they walk right into the cage but can't get back out.

Once trapped, we carefully remove them one at a time.

Each owl is carefully given a leg band, and then weighed.

Receiving a leg band

Recording banding information

Weighing

Weighing

The purpose for banding the owls is to monitor their migration, lifespan, nesting success rate, etc.

They also make good candidates for photographing.

Nature is Amazing!

This really speaks for itself. Sit back and enjoy. You won't regret it.

The Beauty of Pollination

Munchy Visitor

I didn't have to be to work until 10 am, so I fully intended on sleeping in. Then my boss sent me a text at 6:15 am with a question that required me to get out of bed and consult my schedule. I planned on going back to bed, but then I heard a quiet "woof"-like sound out the window. I thought maybe it was a young coyote, so I peaked out the window. But rather than a coyote, what I saw surprised me.

Up in the top of a Russian Olive tree was a large porcupine. Then as if to confirm to me it was the one who had made that sound, it did it again while I was looking at it. Very strange little sound. Very strange little animal.

Needless to say I didn't go back to bed. I sat there with my bins watching this little critter munching on the leaves, wondering how it avoided the sharp spines on this particular variety.

The only camera I have at home is my phone with no zoom, and I new I couldn't get a picture of it from where I was. So I just watched. When I wasn't watching the porcupine, my gaze fell upon three young fledgling magpies, and a couple of brightly colored warblers.

After a while, the porcupine slowly made its way down out of the tree, using its tail as an extra limb for support and balance.

When it reached the ground, it disappeared around the back of a large rock. I didn't see it emerge from the other side, so I figured it had hunkered down back there to take a little rest. That's when I decided to finally venture out and take a closer look.

Do you see it on top of the rock wall, near the tree?

I could see it from a distance away, and never having been all that close to a porcupine, I didn't know how close I could get before spooking it. So I cautiously approached, very slowly, not wanting to frighten it, or tick it off.

Still just laying on the rock, as if sunning itself.

Porcupines are mostly nocturnal. So they spend all night munching on leaves and grass, and then look for a quiet, protected place, sometimes in a log, or a tree, or apparently on a rock wall, to rest during the day.

It is totally just lounging around.

Finally caught a whiff of me and is searching the air trying to figure me out.

Porcupines have very poor eyesight. I was only a few feet away from it and the most it got was a slight smell of something curious. It didn't seem to notice me at all visually. So I decided to get a little closer.

Still totally relaxed.

Now its hackles go up slightly.

Once its hackles went up ever so slightly, I decided I was close enough and would leave it alone. So I backed up and decided rather than going all the way back around the wall like I had come, I would go over the wall. When I moved to the wall I apparently crossed directly into the breeze blowing past me and toward the porcupine. It suddenly had a clear smell of me, and immediately jumped up and fully extended every single (up to 30,000) quills on its body. It was a quick, and rather alarming sound to hear that movement and that quill extension. I jumped back from the wall very quickly, afraid the porcupine was going to run at me. But it didn't. It just sat there, quills fully and threateningly extended.

I got the message. I went back around the wall the long way.

Later that morning it had found a new resting place. Up in another nearby tree. The tree with the fledgling magpies. I don't think they appreciated having that prickly house companion. But there is stayed for the rest of the morning. By the time I returned from work, it was gone again. Off looking for another evening meal.

Badger

I saw one today. I was pretty shocked, and really wanted to jump out of my car and chase it. But I decided that might not be the best idea.

But there it was, running across the road just in front of my house. I stopped and watched it as it ran through the brush, stopped to look at me a couple of times, and then continued on out of sight. I was, and still am, pretty excited about that. We have indications that we have badgers out here, but very few people ever report seeing one. Now I can say we really do have them...well, at least one. :)

Males have a home range of up to 2100 acres, and female ranges vary from about 1700 acres in the summer, down to as few as 5 acres in winter. So, with that in mind, there may only be a few individuals on the northern 2000 acres of Antelope Island. And they are generally nocturnal. That may explain why they are so rarely seen.

Until this morning.

Wildlife Sightings

One of the things I love about Antelope Island is that the wildlife is so accessible. I love to be able to tell  visitors where they can go to see the bison or the pronghorn, and be pretty certain they will see something when they head out.

Quite often folks will come in just so excited to share that they saw a pronghorn right next to the road. Or a herd of  bison, or a rabbit. I was excited today when I found a barn owl nest, with the owl hunkered down low, hiding from our prying eyes. I'm not going to tell you where I saw it. You'll have to come out to the island, and then MAYBE I'll show you.

Speaking of barn owls, they are fast becoming my favorite owl. I think the reason may be because of the number of times I have had the opportunity to see one since I've been out here. Quite often in the morning I will startle or be startled by one hiding up in the rafters of the visitor center. I almost got splattered by one who seemed quite annoyed that I spooked him off his perch. This past winter I was frequented by a barn owl who would come and dine just outside my window on my window AC unit. He would leave castings, droppings and the occasional innards of a mouse.

Plus they're pretty owls, and exceptional hunters. When they are feeding a young brood, they consume an unimaginable number of mice throughout the summer for themselves and their young. That makes me happy for a number of reasons; fewer mice to invade my home, and plenty of castings (owl puke) for me to gather and use for educational purposes later.

A Neighborly Visit

I am sitting in my living room with the blinds open to the "front yard". The air is perfectly pleasant, and I just replaced some of the damaged screens, so I had the window opened a crack to let the air and the sounds in.

Do you know the sound of a Western Meadowlark? If not you really should click on that link back there, because I can't mimic them, especially in writing. But they have a wonderful song. It's most cheerful in the morning and the evening. So their voices filled the room and brought a smile to my heart.

As I was thinking about writing about them, I heard a crunching noise outside just behind where my chair sits. As I craned my neck around, this is who I saw:

Pictures don't really do justice to how massive this guy is. And I wish the detail on his face was visible (this pic was with my phone and through the window, but still). It certainly increases the intimidation level to see that black face, and those dark, round eyes staring you down.

He watched me for a few moments, then continued on his way, past two large boulders and an apple tree. I hoped these might help you visualize his size. I'm still not sure it really does it. I bet he weighed upwards of 1700 lbs (maybe more).

Now the clouds are rolling in. A few drops of rain have fallen. It promises to be a very windy, worry about your satellite dishes blowing off the roof, night.

And the Meadowlarks are still singing.

No Antelope on Antelope Island

Just as Bison are quite commonly called Buffalo, Pronghorn are also misnamed, and referred to as Antelope. While they do indeed resemble Antelope, they are quite different animals. Not even in the same family.

Here we have some Antelope, family Bovidae. The term antelope is a general term used to describe all members of the family Bovidae which don't really fit into the category of sheep, cattle or goat. Other members of the family Bovidae include bison, African buffalo, water buffalo, gazelles, and muskoxen.

Blackbuck Antelope

True antelope have unbranched horns which are never shed. They continue to grow throughout their lives. And if they get broken or knocked off, they may or may not grow back depending on the severity of the break.

Here we have a Pronghorn, family Antilocapridae. Pronghorn are the only surviving member of this family, and so have no close relatives to compare them to. Pronghorn are native to North America.

Pronghorn at Antelope Island

Female Pronghorn

Both male and female Pronghorn have horns. The horns of the male are considerably larger than those of the female and are branched, or at least have a slight "prong" on them, hence the name.

 

 

 

 

Male Pronghorn

The horns of Pronghorns are different from both the antlers of deer, and the true horns of sheep or bison. Antlers are heavily branched, made of bone and are shed every year. True horns are made a keratin, or compressed hair, growing on a bony core, and are never shed, nor are they ever branched. The horns of Pronghorns are a little of both. They are made of a branched keratin sheath, growing on a bony core, and the sheath is shed each year. 

Pronghorn are the second fastest land animal in the world, just behind the cheetah. It has been noted that they can run up to 70 mph for short distances, and can maintain half that speed over great distances. Pronghorn are truly a plains animal, and while they can jump, they almost never do. Out on the plains, they will travel for miles along a fence looking for an area they can climb under.

Out on Antelope Island, they have no such barriers and can be seen ranging over the entire 28,000 acre land mass.

The Big Boys

Weighing in at up to 2000 lbs, the American Bison (Bison bison) is the largest land mammal in North America, and certainly the biggest thing out here on Antelope Island.

Brought to the Island in the early 1890s as a way to help maintain the then nearly extinct species (and as a money making endeavor), the Antelope Island herd is one of the largest publicly owned herds in the nation.

And they often hang out just outside my front door.

Despite their large size and seemingly lazy attitude, Bison can run up to 30 mph! And they can get annoyed rather easily.

Here's a video I found on Youtube of some boneheads getting too close.

Look at the head on that bad boy. It's pretty large for its size and is held up by large muscles attached to an enlarged scapula, and several upper thoracic ribs. Those muscles not only hold that head up, but is what allows such short legs to move so quickly.

There are nearly 700 Bison on the Island right now. The carrying capacity is about 550 to allow enough food to support the other herbivores out here (mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn). Generally, large predators would help keep their numbers in check, but unfortunately, the largest predators on Antelope Island are coyotes, and they are no where near big enough to take down a Bison. So the Park has to help in that regard.

Every year, at the end of October/first of November the herd is rounded up and corralled for a few weeks while wildlife managers check their health, give vaccinations, check for pregnancy and select about 200 animals to be auctioned off.

Now this whole time I've been calling them Bison. Surely you've also heard them called Buffalo. So what's the difference?

Well, here's a Buffalo:

This is a Cape Buffalo from Africa. Technically, we don't have Buffalo in the US (not naturally occurring, anyway).

The term Buffalo has been used to describe our Bison since the arrival of the Anglos in North America. So it's a term that's just kind of there and used interchangeably with Bison. But if you want to be technical, what we have living here in North American are American Bison.

And they are currently my closest neighbors.

Master Naturalist Class

This week I have been involved with the Utah Master Naturalist Class focusing on mountains. This is the third of three modules the UMN Program offers. The first two were Aquatic Systems and Deserts. This current one may be my favorite so far - possibly because we have spent so much time out in the field.

I do have a few pics, which I'll share in another post. But right now I just wanted to report that during yesterday's class, we were lucky enough to find marmot scat and a den site, coyote scat, and a large gathering of porcupine scat. We weren't sure what the porcupine scat was to begin with, but after collecting one piece and studying it at home, I have come to that conclusion.

At the time we found the scat, my camera had run out of battery power, otherwise I would share that wonderful scat discovery with you.

We also saw and identified lots and lots of wildflowers and several evergreen trees.

Living on the Island

Last week was my first week living in the park house out on Antelope Island. My mom came with me to help clean and get things ready to move the little furniture in that I have. She did most of the cleaning - three bathrooms (that needed a lot of work) and then she and I cleaned the kitchen and dining room from top to bottom. It is finally livable. I still have rooms to paint which will come little by little.  But it's coming together and feeling like a home.

Being out there full time gave us the chance to witness some of the most incredible sunsets you could imagine. The golden light of the setting sun reflecting off the water and scattered clouds was amazing and so relaxing. It is quiet on the island other than the occasional bird call and the buzz of insects.

To someone who may just be visiting the island for one day, driving through the park for an hour or two, or just stopping in to the visitor center, there may be some question as to what this island has to offer. What's all the hub-ub about? To these individuals, I would say the beauty is in the details. In the little things. It's in the millions of birds that take refuge here. It's in the wonder of seeing a pronghorn, bison, coyote, a bird of prey soaring over the grassland, a black-tailed jackrabbit. It's in the wonder of watching a column of midges dancing along the shoreline. In the discreet growth of native grasses, flowers, shrubs and other vegetation. It's in the smell of the salt water carried by the wind.  It's in the expansive views of the lake. In the sunset, the sunrise and the thousands of stars at night.

I'm looking forward to getting to know the island better.

Fremont Island

There are about 10 islands on the Great Salt Lake. I say about because nobody can agree on a set number. I guess it depends on how you define island, and how full the lake is.

But anyway, there are some that everyone can agree upon as islands on the Great Salt Lake - Antelope, Fremont, Stansbury, and a couple of others. Antelope Island is the largest of the islands, and certainly the most well known. Fremont Island may be one of the least well known, simply because it is privately owned, and not many people have the chance to venture forth onto it. I lucked out during my first week on the job at Antelope and was able to join a group of people who got permission to go out there as part of a "Summer of Salt" journey. One of the draws to the Island lies in what is known as Kit Carson's Cross. When Kit Carson was out exploring with John C. Fremont long, long ago, he ventured onto Fremont Island. He apparently got kind of bored with things and went exploring and carved a cross on one of the higher rock outcroppings. It's still there.

So we all loaded into two State Park boats to head on over.

Once we arrived on the Island we began our search for the cross. Others in the group had some information about where it was (in general), but nothing specific. So off we went.

There isn't much wildlife on the Island. We did see some domestic seep, but not much sign of anything else. As far as I know, there is only one fresh water spring on the island. That could be why there isn't much wildlife.

Finally after hiking longer than we anticipated, and enjoying a bit of rainy weather, we finally found the cross. It wasn't as big or prominent as we were expecting, and we almost missed it. But there it was. After all this time.

Kit Carson's Cross on Fremont Island

Our group gathered at the rock outcropping where the cross is located.

For more information about this trip, check out this great summary by one of the participants. And here is a great video that was taken while we were out there. If you pay attention, you will see me here and there. And yes, while it was a memorable experience, it was wet.

New Chapter

Tomorrow, July 1, begins my sojourn at Antelope Island State Park. I still have a few things to finish up here at my current park, but I will officially be the Antelope Naturalist.

I chatted briefly today with my new manager (who is also brand new starting tomorrow). I think it will be great working with him. He has some tough issues facing him, but he sounds optimistic about it all. There will be a bit of a learning curve to work through, but that will be fun. So much to learn. So much to discover.

My toughest job might be getting my family to think highly of the island rather than just considering it a stinky, dry, ugly place. :)

There is so much wildlife out there. Every time I go out I see something: bison, pronghorn, coyote, black tailed jackrabbit, northern harrier, meadow lark, great blue heron, burrowing owl... so much to discover!

I'm excited to start this chapter. I will miss those I currently work with. They have been great. They have been like a family to me for the past 9 years. But change is good. It keeps us growing and stretching.

Checking out the Trail

Last week my boss asked me to take a walk along one of the trails to see if and to what extent the trail and bridges had been damaged by the ever increasing spring run-off.

I was happy to oblige.

 Here's the river. It's gone up quite a bit since I took this.

My mission was off to a good start...

And then...

 Arrowleaf Balsam Root

 Broad Tailed Hummingbird

... I got distracted.

Okay, I know I'm kinda strange...

but this just makes me happy.

In case you don't know what you are looking at - that is my gloved finger pointing to a tiny little Ermine dropping. Ermine dropping - shaped like the animal who left it - long and skinny.

I saw this little Ermine (a.k.a short-tailed weasel) bounding around the snow near an old building in the park. I stood very still and watched it as it bounded here and there, checking out this and that, disappearing beneath the snow and reappearing again a few feet away.

After it disappeared from sight, I followed it's little tracks.

Perfect little Ermine tracks.

Cutest little foot prints. 

 Hop, and down under the snow it goes. 

 Perfect little Ermine hole.

 And off into the shrubbery it goes.