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Monday, October 27, 2014

Lajitas or bust

Had more energy yesterday, and still more today, so I determined to go check out the odonates at Lajitas. I figure for every ten I see, there are a hundred I don't see, but ten is a ten in my book.

It's the time of year for the annual Chili Cook-off. Most locals pointedly avoid leaving their homes during the cookoff (to be held this weekend west of Terlingua Ghost Town). I went once years ago, and never again. This is the 48th year for it. Already a trailer town is growing. And that doesn't count the tent village.


I had previously been told about Lajitas cutting down a bunch of pine trees that were blocking the "view," so it wasn't a surprise. I was surprised at the bat houses, though. Go figure!


I have told all the management and CEOs that a birding habitat would generate more income than the golf course, by replacing the turf with trees, and no more water usage. I've done all I can do. Lajitas could be a world birding center, but apparently this will happen only in my dreams. 

While servicing my feeders at the oasis before leaving this morning, I noticed the feeder that this Red Admiral was feeding from yesterday was very soured. I'm thinking that's what attracted him to it. This morning he didn't visit any of the feeders, maybe because they were filled with fresh solution. But I can't let them get sour. It attracts nasty black flies and makes them terribly difficult to clean. Probably not good for the hummers either.

I've been trying my best to get diagnostic photos of amberwings, both at the oasis and again at Lajitas. Hopefully, a couple I took there today will be good enough to identify at least one as Mexican Amberwing. I don't think that species has been documented at Lajitas before. Here's one of my better ones.


I need to use fill flash to reveal the shadowed part but I'm technologically challenged on things like external flash, etc. In this case, the color and pattern of the thorax is diagnostic. Too bad it's in shadow on my photos.

I took pics of one at the oasis a couple of days ago that couldn't be confirmed, but I have already documented that species there, you may recall, so no big deal, although it would have been nice.

Also at Lajitas I saw hundreds of checkerspots that I thought were Chinatis until I checked my book. They're Theona Checkerspots. Here's one on its host plant cenizo, which is abundant around Lajitas.



2 comments:

  1. Don't give up on the World Birding Center for Lajitas...please. That would be a big plus for the birds and everything else. I can understand their resistance to doing away with the golf, but lets play a card like Audubon does and try to get them interested in doing both things and everyone wins....including Lajitas because of having more diversity to draw people.

    Good luck on the Mexican Amberwings. I hope it checks out.

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  2. I have talked in person and on the phone about just even adding a birding trail alongside the golf course. They act interested, even say they will, then go off in an entirely different direction. Years ago they had a birding habitat there (previous owner) that they put down along the river where it predictably flooded. Now it's abandoned. I've even told them it would be easy (with their billions) to take that area and raise part of it and lower part by just moving dirt around. Then part wouldn't flood and would be a wonderful natural habitat. Deaf ears. How awesome would it be to ride in a golf cart along the miles of golf course with towering vegetation and water features all around you. It would entice lots of Mexican rarities that we're all too fearful to pursue in Mexico these dangerous days there.

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