Couple of firsts for me today

I got up before daylight and headed to a private residence near Ft. Davis where a lifer Golden-crowned Sparrow awaited me. I saw it immediately upon arriving, but spent another hour trying to get a decent photo of it. It was well worth the effort!

Then it was home to eat lunch and take a nap before participating in my first real book signing, held at the local bookstore, Front Street Books. It was fun!   (The book has a chapter in it about me and my oasis.)

2026 BIG SIT!

We had our annual Big Sit yesterday, and it was miserably cold and windy. Worst Big Sit weather ever, plus we had it earlier than usual so more people would be able to participate, which meant fewer migrants. Not surprisingly, we tallied the fewest birds ever during such an occasion. I ran a long extension cord with an electric blanket to the viewing area which helped some participants survive better. Some warmed up in their cars occasionally. I retreated to my cabin periodically.

Best two species of the day were a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird* and a pair of  Northern Parulas.

A male Townsend's Warbler and an Indigo Bunting were enjoyed also.

The oasis is lush after a rain a week or so ago. Migration has begun! Gonna be exciting! 

UPDATE: Got these photos of the Big Sit, taken by participant Maryann Eastman.

The electric blanket is beside me on the last photo, taken on a rare moment when no one was using it.

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*Some experts think that hummingbird may be a hybrid Black-chinned X Ruby-throated.

Oasis looking lovely!

I pushed myself to go water and service feeders yesterday, even though I end up getting sick when I do it. At daylight, when I stopped by the bear-proof shed to retrieve the watering hoses, I smelled something dead. I sniffed inside the shed and was relieved to not smell it inside. Put the hoses inside the bed of my pickup and headed to water. Just before dark as I was putting the hoses back into the shed, I was watching for snakes and noticed a dead and very smelly carcass four feet from the shed door. Turned out to be a bobcat. (I suspect it died giving birth.) Don't know how I missed it earlier. I guess in the cool morning twilight, snakes weren't on my mind. 

Thankfully, that freeze on March 15th didn't do much damage. A few persimmon trees had frozen leaves on them, and some new growth on live oaks got zapped, but, surprisingly, the Huisache trees were fine. And they were what I thought would be damaged first. Sorry, no photos. Too exhausted to carry a camera around while watering in the 96° heat.

I think this spring migration is going to be great! We're going into a wetter El Niño pattern also. It won't arrive until summer, but I have plenty of water until then, and a dry spring concentrates migrants to the oasis. I just have to hang tough!

In town recovering. Habitat here is greening up nicely, and the Black Locust trees are in bloom.

Why I hate March

It's bad enough that March is the windiest month of the year, but on top of that, almost every single Feb-Mar everything leafs out, only to be zapped by a freeze in March. Yesterday, I watered at the oasis. Green and lovely, stuff blooming everywhere. The Huisache trees were becoming loaded with leaves and blooms. It was over 90.°

Huisache is very frost tender, so I can only imagine how they look today after last night's freeze. Here in town, I tried to protect the apricot tree that was loaded with fruit and lush leaves. At 5 AM, as the temperature reached freezing, I turned on a sprinkler below it. Here it is at daylight. All I can do now is hope some of the fruit survives.

A visitor took this Lucifer Hummingbird photo at the oasis yesterday. I think it has a damaged bill.

Photo by Sharon McCanahan

Spring indeed!

I finally got to the oasis on the 6th of March. Lucifers didn't disappoint! I observed nest material gathering, but couldn't get a decent photo. Today Kim Morse got these photos of it, which I really love! Thank you, Kim!

I am concerned about the material though. It's some kind of man-made strapping, like nylon, that may seem like spider webs, but doesn't have the requisite stretch that their nests need as the nestlings grow. When I get back down there I'm going to replace that strap with wire.

The Mountain Laurel is blooming beautifully. This one is 7 feet tall and I never water it.

I'm finally feeling better, almost recovered from my winter illnesses (bronchitis earlier and recent UTI). Winters are so hard on me.

Spring is in the air

My spring will be official when the first Lucifer arrives. Could be any day now, but unless a visitor sees it, I probably won't get down there until late next week.

My niece came by while I was there watering. She had her tractor with her, as she was doing some work on her own driveways. She offered to work on my road, and I happily accepted. I knew it would mean I'd have to rake wherever she did work, but it would be well worth it! 

She did good work with what she had to work with... rocky rubble. She worked on it for three hours, with me there guiding her. I was already exhausted from watering all day, but wasn't going to let anything stop me. 

I spent the night at the oasis, finished watering early the next morning, then demanded of my body to rake the three places she had worked on.  The only part of the road that I'm not satisfied with now is the big hill itself. Not much can be done with it without pouring cement. That'll have to wait for another day. Except for the big hill, I think low clearance vehicles could do the road, but sure safer to have decent clearance. Without that, a person could park and walk up the big hill. It's about half a mile from the oasis.

Surprisingly, raking was more doable than I had feared it would be. Although I can't raise my left arm, I discovered I can drag a rake, albeit painfully. Pain was only about a 3 or 4 (out of 10). I also picked up a zillion rocks. 

I had been quite discouraged lately, and now I'm re-invigorated!  And two days later, I don't think my pain is really worse than before I missed my nap, and overworked for those two days. After all, the bones are already bone-on-bone. A corticosteroid shot didn't help, nor does physical therapy. It's possible that I won't hurt it any worse, as long as I use reasonable care. I'd sure hate to not use it if doing so doesn't make it worse. And I guess if I do make it worse, then I'll quit. Old age isn't for the faint-hearted. I know falling is the biggest danger at my age (almost 86) so I do take great care in walking.

Visitors are already using the road.  And next week I'm hosting a Sul Ross University class. All good!

Time races by

It's been a month now since I blogged. That should tell you how boring it's been here. Not one interesting bird to report in the last month. I chased a Eurasian Wigeon at Balmorhea but dipped on that. It's my nemesis bird now.

Brother's hand seems to be healing, and over the worst, although he may have some heart issues to deal with when his staph treatment is finished.

My shoulder joints are bone-on-bone, and nothing helps. I tried a steroid injection into the worst one, and currently doing physical therapy, but no improvement. My sister has the same issues with some of her joints. 

Between her building her house alone while being an archaeologist, and me slaving away on projects my whole life, we've worn out our joints. As long as I can function, I can't complain. And I only have pain when I use my shoulders, so that's good. We all have issues to deal with. Mine could be so much worse.

Lucifers will be back in a week, maybe sooner since the weather is supposed to get really warm next week. I feel like I survived another winter, and hopefully, so have they!

Evolving oasis

My daughter texted me a screenshot of a youtube interview of me she'd come across. I didn't recognize it by the screenshot, so did a youtube search for it. Turns out it was done in 2020 by some unknown visitor who followed me around with a camera. 

Before you watch it, I have to tell you how much has changed in 5 years. It starts with me repairing a  pulley wire to the hanging bird feeder that my son has since put a crank assembly on so I don't have to raise it by hand.

At 7:27 minutes in, it talks about the future water feature and how I wasn't excited about it. Since then, I adore the water feature and can't imagine the oasis without it.

Around 9 minutes in, it shows the big concrete tank, which is now collapsed and doesn't hold water for more than a couple weeks anymore.

A short whle later, I mention how I wish I was set up better for photography. That has improved with the new blind.

About 15 minutes in, I talk about how perhaps I water the trees more than needed. I since cut down and nearly lost some trees doing it, so that is no longer in question.

I talk about my son taking over the oasis when I'm gone. That is no longer gonna happen. So this video is a glimpse into the past, but otherwise pretty much out-of-date. Nevertheless, I'm sure some of you will enjoy watching it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-oZNiW0Pkg

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Update on brother: He's going home from the hospital today with a PICC line that he'll have to use to treat the staph infection, but he should have a good recovery. I'm remaining optimistic.

TOS Alpine meeting

The Texas Ornithological Society held its winter meeting in Alpine this past weekend, and a cold one it was! I went to the oasis Thursday afternoon to prepare for the Friday and Saturday field trips to the oasis, as best I could. I knew we were in for a cold and bird-less ordeal, but the birders couldn't have been happier or more cheerful! Such a great bunch of people! 

Most of them hadn't been to the oasis before and were able to check it off their bucket list.  A few even saw a lifer or two. And the photographers enjoyed being able to photograph some species up close. There are very few places one can do that.

In all, betwen both groups, only about 24 species were seen. No hummers, or anything of special interest. I guess it says something, if the oasis can be enjoyed when it's at its worst. And we didn't have a "blue norther,'" like could've happened. Very little wind, actually. Just temps in the 30s and 40s, which is brutal on me. Here's me sweeping off the bear unwelcome mat. I don't want the nails to get covered with dirt. That wouldn't deter a bear. I doubt one could reach the feeder anyway, but not taking chances. A bit awkward sweeping since my left shoulder doesn't work, and I dare not step onto the mat. I did that once and ended up with a nasty sore on my foot. (It would be ok, if I wasn't always wearing plastic crocs.)

My brother's finger was doing well until it got a staph infection. Don't know how it's all going to end. I'll let you know soon. He's having surgery on it Wednesday.

On the bright side, spring is gonna be here soon, and I'm ready for it! I miss the hummingbirds more than I miss the warm weather, which is saying a lot for me! Forty more days, but who's counting!

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UPDATE: Brother's infection responded so well to antibiotics that they canceled the surgery! He may leave the hospital soon.

Bad cold front predicted for this weekend starting Friday (Jan. 23).

Mulch time

Loading in Alpine (Dec 30)

 

Unloading at CMO (Dec 30)

January's nearly half over and it hasn't been totally uneventful. My 83 year old brother accidentally cut off two fingers in his table saw. That hit me hard. One finger has been reattached, and hopefully will become functional.

He makes and sells beautiful wooden bowls and vases. Here are a few examples. He hasn't quit doing them. It's his passion. And you know how passions are....

I'm finally over my bronchitis, but don't have much energy or appetite. Hopefully, I'll perk up later this week when the TOS annual meeting is held in Alpine, with tours coming to the oasis. Just hope some birds show up. It's been bleak birding this winter. I got a short respite on the 7th when Kym Morse and I had fun birding Candelaria in Presidio County.

Common Gallinules

I keep reminding myself that next month Lucifers might return. And if they don't come in February, they for sure will come in early March. Six more weeks doesn't sound terribly long to wait.