Lajitas stuff

I had high hopes of seeing an odonate at Lajitas. I haven't had one at CMO all year, and saw none at Lajitas either. No butterflies at Lajitas either. So far this year I've had four butterflies at CMO (Reakirt's Blue, Checkered White, A Snout, and Sleepy Orange). All boring species, At this point I'd be thrilled to see a boring dragonfly species. Feeling a pull to the Lower Rio Grande Valley.... just sayin'

Stuff sure gets pruned heavily at Lajitas. Here's my favorite lantana patch whacked to the ground.

What man doesn't prune, it seems nature does. By now I shouldn't be surprised by the radical pruning that goes on there, but I was definitely surprised to see that beavers are giving the cottonwood trees a serious pruning. Giving the management there a taste of their own medicine. 

                           

Lajitas was pretty birdy, even saw at least four hummingbirds. The oasis has none, so score that one to Lajitas.  Here's a Gray Catbird that I was surprised to see there although it's not rare for there.  Just my first one there. And I probably wouldn't have seen it if crews hadn't been blasting the area with obscenely loud leaf-blowers.

And an Ash-throated Flycatcher. I probably won't get that species at CMO for another month or more.

I thought the bill was too dark for this to be a Ruddy Duck, but I don't think there's anything else it can be.