My day today

I discovered why I didn't find a Paiute Dancer at the Pecos River yesterday. It's too late in the season for them. Should have done my homework beforehand, not afterwards.

Got to CMO this morning to find a small leak in the line from the stucco tank pump. I wanted to patch it so didn't water today. Letting it set overnight. It was making a mist into the tank but mists evaporate most of their water. Will check it in the morning when I water. Note fine line of mist squirting out at top of wet area on line.

Everything here is old and wearing out. Without some proactive support, it's not going to get better, only worse. The leak was higher than I could reach in the tank, even though I was thigh-deep in water. I turned off the water so the pressure would go away and went to Lajitas to seek odes while it dried out. When I returned I cleaned and put Shoe-goo on the hole (as best I could on tip-toe), then wrapped it with duct tape. If it still leaks, it will just run down the line into the tank, not evaporate into the air. Hopefully, the tank will fill up soon and it won't be an issue. I've had less rain this year from July 9- Sept 9 (.12") than I did in 2011 during the same period (.20"). That's how bad it is. At least today was only 90° and not the normal 100°.

I was at Lajitas during the hot part of the day (over 100° there), which may be why I saw very few odes, or maybe it's getting too late in the season. Kind of felt like a big fat cattail zero day.

Actually, all the fire ants made it like a minus zero day. They're awfully small so you may not be able to seem them all over the grasses on this photo.

The kind of hummingbird feeders I use (Dr JBs) get faded from the sun real bad. That bothers me. I like them to look bright and new, so I'm experimenting with some plastic paint, hoping it won't wear off. It sure wouldn't if I wanted it off, I'm certain of that. Here's an unpainted one on the left and a freshly painted one on the right.

With this young male Anna's Hummingbird, CMO's week hummingbird species total is eight. When we banded here Sunday we had seven species, Black-chinned, Ruby-throated, Lucifer, Allen's, Rufous, Calliope, & Broad-tailed. That's not abnormal for the peak of migration, but nice, nevertheless.