2021 in Review

 January

The oasis started the year under the weight of a record 18" of snowfall. Many branches and limbs snapped off.

We started work on the new viewing blind and water feature. I moved from the house into the guesthouse, while my son and his wife took over the house. Transitioning. We got vaccinated against covid.

February

Record cold February did a lot of freeze damage. Blind work slow.

March

Lots of wind. Blind work went slow and extended into disruption of spring migration birding, to my dismay. Because of the drought, the oasis was really popular with birds. Birders were all getting vaccinated, and life was getting back to normal. Bird tours resumed and I would consider it to be a normal spring migration.

April

Good spring migration using the new blind.

Work on the new water feature was delayed while repairing liner damaged by bear.

May

Great migration fun! Birders happy to be vaccinated and back to enjoying birds.

June

Water feature operational.

Vegetation struggling what with winter snow damage, then record freeze damage, followed by bear damage. Thanks to the new water tank the oasis lurched along.

July

Work completed on blind, although I still had plans to cover the space between them with shade.

August

I was able to collect water from several small monsoonal rains to where I felt I could make it through until next rainy season. Probably have to ration water.

September

I covered the space between the blinds. Very slow fall migration, especially noticeable on hummingbirds. Usually, in August and September it's hard to keep the feeders filled. I even bought some extra big feeders, but the influx never came and the feeders sat unused.

October

Before and after pics of the blind and water feature.

The old water feature didn't have an underground reservoir so I couldn't use a pump in it. Algae kept ruining pumps. This solar powered system is the cat's meow! And gets birds up higher for optimal photography.

What few birds there were, seemed to stop by because of all the berries on the Chinese Pistachio tree.

Here's my favorite photo of a visitor to the tree, taken by Mike Gray on the day he, Cecilia, and Deirdre came to help put concrete patches on the steepest part of the big hill. I really believe that'll make the hill  50% easier to ascend. Very exciting for me!

Red-naped Sapsucker

November

Surprised to get a new oasis species, a Lewis's Woodpecker. Alas, it only hung around for a few hours, and no one but me got to see it.

Fall was the worst birding at the oasis ever! Not one single hummer around. That's a first. I sure hope things pick up in March. 

December

Still no birds at the oasis so I roamed farther afield searching for birds. Looking forward to a hopefully good spring. Just have to get through winter first. At least December was lovely weather. In fact, the year began with record cold, and ended with record heat! Just so grateful we're all alive and healthy.