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Friday, May 10, 2013

This year's migration

Usually I have 60-70 species of birds a day during spring migration. This year so far I've been lucky if I surpass 50 species a day. Migrant warblers love acacia blooms, and the oasis and adjacent vegetation are bursting with them, but pretty much devoid of warblers.


I figure with the winter rain we got, everywhere is an oasis so migrants aren't dependent on the oasis. Which is good. But they would still come in to water, so probably the south winds have encouraged them to keep moving. And possibly we're getting a late migration and more migrant waves will appear. Hummingbirds are coming in more often since the ocotillo finished blooming.

I've only got 2½' of water left in the tank so hopefully it'll rain before July, or at least enough showers so I won't have to haul water to keep things alive. I think I'm good to go, but do get nervous this time of year when the tank gets low. Water is my security.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Carolyn I think if I were you I would stay at the Oasis 100%! You have worked so hard on
the Oasis that I would not leave the beauty and peacefulness of it! Ann Zeller

Carolyn Ohl-Johnson said...

Ann, I would love nothing better, but I'm too afraid if I don't maintain my marriage in Alpine I couldn't afford to support the oasis on my social security check alone. I look at it as if I have a part time job in Alpine. I need a wealthy benefactor.:) When we got married my husband said he'd move to the oasis and help take care of it, but changed his mind after we got married. Such is life!