Chukar Fun on Antelope Island

["Eric Jeffords" <arifodel at hotmail dot com>]

This morning around 9:30, near the visitor's center on Antelope Island, I 
saw several chukar foraging upon a rocky mound. I pulled my car to the side 
of the road (about 120 feet from the birds) and got out. While observing 
them it seemed that among their songs one of the birds sounded out of 
breath. I could hear a panting noise amidst all of the cooing and thought it 
a strange sound for a chukar to make. Almost immediately a coyote sprang out 
from behind one of the rocks toward a chukar (just over 100 feet from where 
I was standing). The chukar jumped, with ease, out of the coyote's reach. 
The poor animal made several more attempts at other chukar to no avail. This 
game went on for several minutes. I eventually got back in my car, thinking 
that soon enough the coyote would get tired of being made a fool of and 
start to look for something easier to sink his teeth into (me). It was great 
to see the playfulness of the chukar, who seemed to be having the time of 
their lives with the enemy.

Eric Jeffords




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