Winter Specialties at Antelope

["Kristin Purdy" <kristinpurdy at comcast dot net>]

Acting on a tip from Glenn Barlow, I visited Antelope Island today in an attempt to see a Northern Shrike that Glenn and Alton Thygerson spotted yesterday.  The bird was right where they saw it too--near the intersection of the road to Garr Ranch and the road to the Frairy Peak trailhead.  The shrike was about 150 feet east of the road to Garr Ranch, perched on tamarisk on the down slope to the lake.  The same tamarisk shrubs were LOADED with American Tree Sparrows.  At one point, I had eight in the same scope view. There were many others.  

Other sightings of interest were three Long-tailed Ducks (one male, two females) diving up a storm on the north side of the bridge between mile markers 0 and 1, and a 5-point (western) mule deer at mile marker 6.  He was running hard to get off the causeway.  

Kris