Author Archives: Wasatch Wendy
Antelope Island Morning
With such mild winter weather, it feels like spring has already arrived at the Island – minus the bugs!
Come on out and enjoy the sights, sounds and feeling of this incredible place. If you can stay and enjoy the sunset it will be an experience you won’t forget!
Unusually Pleasant Weather
With the unseasonably warm weather, take a hike on Antelope Island!
I also heard, saw or saw signs of:
Bison, coyote, bobcat, cottontail rabbit, northern harrier, and voles/mice.
Posted in Parks and Museums, State Parks
Tagged Antelope Island, Bison, hiking, mountain, raven, state park, trails
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Release of Sharptailed Grouse
The Wildlife Biologist out on Antelope Island has been busy the past few months working on tagging and reintroducing sharptailed grouse to the island.
Watch here as she preps to release another one.
Early Morning Bison
During an early more drive on Antelope Island, you may be treated to more than just a beautiful sunrise. The bison are out and about with their young calves.
Learning To Fly
Every year I have concerned visitors come into the visitor center and tell me about a baby bird they found that had fallen out of it’s nest. Understandably they are concerned for the safety of the bird.
With this in mind, I thought I’d share some information about what to do if you find a baby bird that has fallen out of its nest.
1. As baby birds grow and become more active they sometimes jostle one anther enough that a bird tumbles out of the nest. Sometimes, while learning to fly, young birds will often end up on the ground.
2. Parent birds are very aware of where their young are, and if you pay attention, you can probably hear them “screaming” at you to stay away from their baby, or see them swooping around nearby.
3. The best thing to do is leave the baby and it’s parents alone, and let mom and dad do their thing in caring for the baby. They will continue to feed on it, check on it and care for it wherever it is.
4. If you feel the baby bird is in danger (either from a cat, other predator, or other unaware… Read the rest
Winged Visitors
While the Midway area may not seem like the hottest spot for birding compared, let’s say, to the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island, and the Jordanelle Wetlands, it does provide some wonderful opportunities for birding. All of the birds pictured below were found at Wasatch Mountain State Park.
There are the expected varieties:
Steller’s Jays
Apple Trees at the Huber Grove
I have to say, Wasatch Mountain State Park is a pretty cool park. After all, it has so much to offer on those 23,000 acres.
Actually, pretty much every State Park has some pretty amazing stuff about them. There are hidden gems all over the place in this state. One of the hidden gems at Wasatch Mountain is the Huber Grove. And one of the gems of the Huber Grove is the historic apple orchard.
Back in the late 1800s, Johannes Huber began a family fruit orchard. It started with 350 apple and other fruit trees, and soon expanded into a large, very productive orchard. Huber was the first to ship a load of apples out of the Heber Valley.
Most of the orchard is now gone, however right around the vicinity of the farmhouse there still remains about 80 of these original trees, and many of them are still producing apples.
These trees are pretty special, after all, who out there has ever heard of a Red Astrakan, Yellow Transparent, Wealthy or Ben Davis apple? These are precisely some of the varieties growing in the orchard.
To help preserve these varieties we were able to graft… Read the rest
Posted in Events and Activities, State Parks
Tagged apple orchard, Huber Grove, spring, state park, wasatch mountain
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The Sandhill Cranes are Back!
There is still snow on the ground, but there are a few sure signs that spring is on its way. One of my favorites is to hear or see sandhill cranes!
These birds are so large I sometimes think I am seeing deer off in a distant field when in fact they are cranes.
Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) have almost a 7 foot wingspan and weigh about 10 pounds. They nest in open meadows, usually near water. In the spring, during courtship, you can often watch their fancy dancing displays – hopping, wings flapping, jumping around. It’s quite a fun little dance.
Sandhills are naturally gray in color, but often when you see them they have a rather rusty look to them. This is due to the iron minerals found in the mud they use to preen their feathers.
Sandhills have a very distinct sound. I wish I could imitate it, but I don’t even come close. The closest I’ve come was while using a pressurized hand-held sprayer. Every time I pushed the pump down forcing air into the container, it would echo with a reverberating sound. That is the sound of a sandhill. That characteristic sound can carry over… Read the rest
Winter Rocks!
I often hear the lament – “I hate winter!”
On my front door I have a hanging decoration that says, “I love winter!”
Am I daft? Perhaps, but not about loving winter. Especially when there is so much to do and so many places to explore in the winter.
“What is there to do in winter?” those winter haters might say. “Skiing?”
Well, yes. There is that. But if you’re not a skier then that’s not really an option for you is it?
So let’s talk about something we can do in winter that is affordable, fun, and provides so many opportunities to play and explore!
How about incorporating snowshoeing with building snow caves, playing in the snow, and hot Dutch oven soup? Here’s how it works. Get your Dutch oven or slow cooker or just a nice big pot. Throw some tasty ingredients together and let them simmer for a few hours while you get out and get going in the snow!
Grab some snowshoes; borrow some from a friend or rent a pair if you don’t have your own. Then find a familiar trail, or join in with a guided snowshoe hike at your favorite state park. While… Read the rest
On the Trail of a Weasel!
Little white body, black tipped tail. There’s nothing much cuter than a weasel in winter. Also known as Ermine, these little critters are a bundle of energy. Follow the trail of one and it tells the story of a hyperactive, inquisitive, little predator.
