Oasis somewhat birdy

A good number of migrants for a fall migration day. Guess there isn't much water at other places in the area. I saw two Belted Kingfishers at the same time but could not get one photo of either of them all day long. So skittish. And I saw three Solitary Sandpipers arrive. When I tried to photograph them, two left immediately, and the third left after my first camera click. So this is all I got. Pretty pathetic!

An Olive-sided Flycatcher was a little more cooperative.

As was this Northern Waterthrush. It sure looks all fattened up for the winter.

Still very little odonate and butterfly activity. Waiting on rain like I am, I guess. Here's a nice specimen of a Saltbush Sootywing, the first I've seen of that species this year.

I did see a [Rhionaeschna] darner today but it didn't land and I couldn't get focused on it in flight. Probably a Blue-eyed, but could have been an Arroyo or Turquoise-tipped. 

Copulating damselflies are easy to zero in on, but when they're as small as these Desert Firetails, I almost never get a sharp photo. Today was no exception.

Kelly Bryan and his group of hummingbird banders managed to band around 200 hummers of 8 species today at his place in the Davis Mountains. They'll be lucky to get four species here tomorrow. And lucky to get 40 hummingbirds total. To be updated with photos tomorrow. Since my help won't be needed, I plan to take pictures. Kind of a vacation within a vacation.

HOLD THE PRESSES! After blogging, around 8 PM, I went out to check things and fill a few hummingbird feeders, getting ready for tomorrow, when I saw a dragonfly going to roost low in a tree. I hurried to the pickup for my cameras. I do not do good photography in near darkness. So with each camera (Canon & Lumix) I tried all the settings, flash, monopod, etc I could think of. My hunch was correct, it was a Spot-winged Glider. Not a new oasis species but one I don't see very often. Pleasant surprise. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.