Island Time

This weekend, I had the opportunity to spend a little bit of time out on Antelope Island.

I had hoped to find some of the big muleys on this trip, and managed to get lucky.  I love finding these guys this time of year.  They are getting big and still covered in velvet.  And, they are still getting along, so it is pretty common to see good sized groups of them.  I managed to get a little over an hour with them.

This guy is pretty fantastic.  His atypical rack is insane.  He also did a really good job of staying within the group, so it was tough to get a shot of him on his own.

After stopping for a quick drink, the group crossed the fence line and headed into an area where I wasn't able to follow.

The island has a pretty good collection of hummingbirds that call the place home for the summer.  I had intended to wander out to a couple of places that I've found them in the past, but I got distracted by the feeders hanging on the porch at the ranch house and never made it any further. 

These next four images are frame grabs from some 4K video footage.

I love the motion in these images.

 

It wouldn't be a late-summer trip to the island without spending some quality time with the spiders.  This time of year, they are EVERYWHERE.  In fact, you've got to pay attention to where you are going when you are wandering, or you'll get to know some of these guys a little better than you'd like.

I'd love to know the story behind this fella's  missing leg.

One final thought.  Over the years, I have come to love the beauty of the island, it is truly one of my favorite places to photograph.  This trip was a little bit sad for me, knowing that our upcoming move is taking us far enough away that it won't be as convenient to visit.  Of course, I'll make it back, it just won't be as often.