Still at breakneck speed

Birders started arriving early and the electrician arrived at 9 AM, so it was a bit chaotic. The electrical problem involved the viewing area, but I made the electrician walk all the way around through the parking area so as not to disturb birding. Didn't get the problem fixed though. He thinks it's in the pump, so I brought the pump to town, hoping to get it fixed.

I need to be at the oasis every day these days. Not only to keep the feeders serviced, but otherwise I can't have the drip going,* or keep the big lubber grasshoppers from gobbling up my Tree Tobacco. But I had commitments in town, unfortunately.

Photo on Tree Tobacco by Sid Ehlert

An interesting bird was photographed at the oasis on August 26th by Deborah Whiting. We couldn't ID it, so I sent it to Kelly Bryan, the expert who co-wrote a paper on hybrid Colima/Virginia Warblers. He believes Deborah's photos are of just such a hybrid.

https://avianhybrids.wordpress.com/2018/10/07/newly-discovered-hybrid-zone-between-colima-and-virginias-warbler-in-texas/

I'm not qualified to say, but I will say I saw a for sure Virginia's at the oasis these past few days and it wasn't this bird, although they may have been traveling together.

Deborah also photographed a Lucifer band. I asked Kelly to check his banding records to see if he could determine which bird this is. He reported back that it had to be one of two males. One would be over 9 years old, and the other over 10 years old. That's pretty exciting. (Note: This bird is growing a new tail, probably molting.)

Thank you, Deborah, for your excellent documentation on both birds. And thank you, Kelly, for researching your banding records to estimate this bird's age.

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* I was so determined to have the birdbath drip working that I rigged up a pump that recirculates water with two long hoses going, one to the drip. But I can't go off and leave it running. It doesn't build up pressure and turn off like the one I brought to town. Just keeps pumping nonstop and it's not designed for that kind of use. But I'm thinking about putting a tank up high on something and using gravity to keep the drip going. Thinking about it. Funny I went all these years without a birdbath drip and now I can't stand to be without it. Like all the years without internet and now I can't survive without it.