I was at the oasis watering yesterday and it was real windy. Guess the wind made me think it wasn't as hot as it was. I got dehydrated (heat exhaustion?) and just collapsed into bed about 6 PM. Didn't brush my teeth or anything. Got up every hour in the night to drink water. Finally recovered. Today I finished watering and came to town.
Took photos at the oasis while watering. My current system is real slow. The new one will be slow (but sure) too, but hopefully not this slow. Nothing forecast except more triple-digit heat. Made me do a lot of thinking.
If I had it to do over I wouldn't plant anything that didn't already grow on my property along the arroyo. That way the trees would be better able to survive with less water, and with more water they'd get big and lush. That list would include Junipers, Soapberries, Hackberries, Desert Willows, Persimmons, Mexican Buckeyes, and Mesquites. I could probably get away with adding some of the native oaks that grow up on the mountain. Currently, these species are all scrubby, but with lots of watering they could make a lovely habitat. They normally grow along the arroyo, then die,or die back, in drought. Therefore they never get very tall. Most of these species have volunteered or been planted at the oasis, but not as tall as they'd be if I had focused on planting and watering them years ago.
But, since I don't get a redo, I'm just going to lean towards not trying too hard to keep the non-native stuff happy. At some point, as they die, one by one, I'll lavish extra water on the native stuff that volunteers to grow in the oasis. I'd also like to clean out lots of the beebrush that comes up everywhere that I water. These are the things I contemplate while watering. And these are the pictures I take while watering.
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| Varied Bunting on feeder |
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| Brown-headed Cowbird |
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| San Luis House Finch (H. mexicanus potosinus) |
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| Juvenile Blue Grosbeak |
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| Cactus Wren (first year I've seen one at the feeder) |
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| Lucifer Hummingbird adult male (seeing juveniles around lately) |
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| Scaled Quail |
Oh. I would love to see a blue grosbeak in real life. Thanks for the photo. And for the varied bunting. I've only see the painted ones.
ReplyDeleteI think you are smart to concentrate on the natives....hard to let go of some non-natives that struggle, but may be a lost cause. Meanwhile, stay smart about yourself and don't get dehydrated. (Ive been accused of being bossy in my life.)
You must come and visit!
ReplyDeleteI should! I've thought of it before, even during my last trip to Ft Davis and environs. I just might take you up on it. I'd love to see the Oasis. Thanks.
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