Oh, deer!

 I love seeing deer as much as anyone else, but this drought has my little water reserve dwindling even faster than evaporation zaps it. However, that isn't the problem that concerns me most. When the deer go down the steep slopes of the concrete tank to the water, then get spooked, then stampede out. With so many deer doing this most of the day, it pulverizes the concrete tank.

If you enlarge (by clicking on) the above photo you can see a recent patch I did at the spillway. But there are other areas badly eroded too. A couple of friends have committed to come help me patch some other places. I could pump the water to the other tank that they can't hurt but I'm afraid it might leak and that would be bad. I patched it last winter, but can't be sure until it's tested. I'll probably end up doing that, but this tank still needs to be patched.

On a more pleasant note, there are still birds everywhere. I'm calling this one a Western Wood-Pewee even though I didn't see the front to confirm the dark vest.

And here's a scruffy, but not all that muddy, looking 1st spring male Summer Tanager foraging among the mud. Hey, a bird's gotta do what a bird's gotta do, with the drought and all.

 Well, one by one, I'm trying to learn other species besides birds. I've been working on butterflies for a year or two, and now I'm starting to attempt lizards. Here is my first photo capture. A Rusty-rumped Whiptail.