Trees, tank, and Phainopepla

A few of the deciduous trees are finally starting to change color. Here is the peach tree.

And the Chinese Pistachio tree...

 I seldom see Phainopeplas, except when the mulberries are ripe. (Click Phainopepla label for photos.) So when I saw one today I right away wondered why. Upon closer examination I realized it was feeding on mistletoe, its trademark food. Having never seen a mistletoe berry, I was somewhat perplexed, but I scrutinized the patch of mistletoe, and sure enough, there were a few berries. I was amazed. They also nest in mistletoe, so when I saw an old nest, I wondered. I'm going to pay more attention to mistletoe in the future, that's for sure. It astounds me that the Phainopepla even located that one small cluster of berries.

This old nest is full of old leaves.

The mistletoe is on a scraggly catclaw acacia bush above an old gray water cistern near the guesthouse. (Because the guesthouse is underground I couldn't run the water out onto the ground.)