Freeze may be headed our way

We banded hummingbirds at Lajitas today. The impending cold (arctic vortex) likely won't freeze things there, so maybe I'll get another time or two to look for dragonflies there. We didn't look today because there were lots of golfers on the course, and for other reasons we needed to get back to town.

The place is full of blooms. This bush has been planted (along with innumerable others) near the motel units there. It's gorgeous with red tubular flowers, red-edged leaves, and maroon-colored berries on it, but I didn't know what it was called. Research has informed me that it's a Firebush (Hamelia patens), and adores hot weather, the hotter the better.

A very interesting plant. The fruit on it is acidic, but edible. (No, thank you.) Sometimes called Scarlet-bush. Hummingbirds purportedly love it. The leaves turn red as the weather cools, and it is very susceptible to freezes. So definitely a tropical perennial that I'll have to enjoy at a distance south of CMO.

There were a lot of ducks at Lajitas this morning. Quite a few of these. I thought they were scaups, but Kelly told me they are female Ring-necked Ducks. I'm terrible on duck identification. They were way far out in the middle of the lake so not a great photo, but rather interesting how the pink and blue-ish reflections on the water comprise about the only real color on the photo.

Before Lajitas, we banded at another of our banding sites where a visitor excitedly watched his first hummer being banded. This is my cell pic of him cell-videoing.

I must add that visitors are always welcome to watch the process and Kelly is incredibly accommodating to all. Not only are observers highly entertained, but so much is learned, too. Soon Kelly will be publishing the mind-boggling data that has been learned from this ten year project, as we wind down our seventh year now.