Back at my happy place

Usually when I get to the oasis I rush around trying to catch up and don't really enjoy myself as much as I could. Today I decided to slow down and stay an extra day or two. So did a little watering, lots of resting and some bird watching. It got over 100° this afternoon, but I stayed indoors. Since I had cleaned the house the last time I was down here (killing myself doing it), I was able to relax and enjoy.

Lots of sparrows at the oasis today, but very few warblers yet, even though the acacia are starting to bloom. I think these are both catclaw acacia but they look a bit different, so not sure.

My sparrow ID skills were sorely tested today. I think I have them straight. Here's a Lark Sparrow captured on a photo with a Ladder-backed Woodpecker.

And a cooperative Scott's Oriole...

My favorite capture of the day was this Cyna Blue butterfly. So tiny I couldn't find it through my lens. By the time I finally got a shot, it disappeared, so this is all I got. It's not a new one for the oasis, I've had one here before.

But I failed to get photos of two species today that I really would have liked. One was a Hutton's Vireo which I haven't documented here before, but has been reported here by other birders, I think. The other was an unknown dragonfly that wouldn't land. My best guess was a male Great Blue Skimmer. I've photographed a female here before, never a male.

Black-headed Grosbeak

Wednesday I'm going up my mountain to mark the trail with spray paint. Afraid to go alone, so my sister is going with me. Gonna be an ordeal, but I can't do the mountain anymore and no one else can find the trail, so it's my last hurrah. I'll go as far as I possibly can go, hopefully as far as past the ridge. The weather is supposed to be cool, but maybe windy. Hope not. It's hard to spray paint in the wind.