January 17,2021
Bill and I discovered a place called Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge early last spring during a restless day of our COVID-19 quarantine. In the Utah west desert you can drive the entire day and never see another person. We decided to go back and check on it this weekend, see what was there.
Wild Horses
We left before sunrise, hoping to catch the wild horses in the west desert at sunrise. We timed it perfectly and spotted the horses as the sun was rising. They were far from the road, so we walked into the desert for about a half mile. I am always nervous around these wild animals, so we kept a close watch for any signs that they were not happy with us being there and we didn’t get too close. The foals that I saw last March were there and playing. They were fun to watch trying out their fighting moves on each other. It seemed to me that the rest of the herd was not as entertained as Bill and I were. I added some pictures from last March so you can see how much the foals have grown.
Fish Springs
The refuge was pretty empty, mostly just ducks. We will head back in the spring to catch the water birds. We did see a bald eagle and a loggerhead shrike. The eagle had found a perch on the tallest tree in the park and was determined to stay put. When we got a little too close, he became grump but didn’t leave. I wonder if he feels as superior as he looks, sitting on the top of the tree, knowing he’s the top of the food chain.
