I left Alpine at 6 AM, arriving at the oasis around 7:30. No sooner had I filled the seed feeder and cleaned the bird droppings off the viewing blind shelf than birders started showing up.
Expecting some would, I had filled my tubs with silt from the stucco tank, so got a couple of strong young men to tote the tubs out. That was a life saver. Took them less than 10 minutes and would have killed me if I could even have done it at all in two days time. Finally the stucco tank is cleaned out! That left me enough energy to do countless other little chores, plus I did some watering that I'll need to finish tomorrow. Also hope to finish patching the stucco tank tomorrow.
I had planned on painting a camo design on the drip tank, but chickened out. Afraid I'll mess it up. Thinking about just painting it a solid beige color so the water will be cooler. Otherwise, I'm fine with it as it is. Here it is as I'm filling it.
The male Lucifer has settled down now and goes about his normal routine, waiting for the females to arrive, I guess. He's on territory, guarding it all day long, except occasional feeder visits. Probably forages for insects too, but I was too busy to pay attention. Too busy to watch birds too, but while watering near the back drip, I got a photo of a Green-tailed Towhee. They don't usually leave until May, so plenty of time to enjoy them yet.
Carolyn's Mountain oasis is a haven for birds and it is a must see for any birder in the area! So glad I was able to experience the birds and the people that this oasis hosts!
ReplyDeleteI'll bet there are muralists known to the Alpine art group (association, whatever) who would do you some desert camo, which would be lighter than the forest camo.....and would probably lighten the colors even more for light repelling purposes. You gotta know somebody.....
ReplyDeleteI or my son could actually do it. We're both artists. Maybe when I get other things caught up, I'll tackle it. Just not sure if it's worth the trouble. Easier to just paint it a beige color. Still pondering.
DeleteAlso there are lots of different camo styles and techniques to consider. I have some black tanks that don't get algae in them and as the water makes its way to the drip in the shade it shouldn't be all that hot.
DeleteI was thinking they'd probably do it for free....one non-profit to another sort of thing. But you know more about it all than I do.
ReplyDeleteI'm certainly open to it and if someone volunteers, I'll take them up on it. Camo is tricky. It looks like camo, not reality, so one has to be careful. In some ways solid colors work better, but I just don't like beige-ish. Green was the best, but I thought it was too dark. But maybe dark is OK. I'll monitor the tank for algae growth and see how it goes. It's not urgent. Gonna focus on painting the raised bench, picnic tables, and finish with the Dryloc in the tank first.
DeleteJudy, I was thinking, if I was really motivated and had the fortitude, I could paint the tank to look like the rock wall behind it. I painted portraits for 30 years, so how hard could it be? Just daydreaming. At nearly 82, I have to ration my energy for essentials. My son is busier than I am so he can't do it. But if someone volunteers, I'll take them up on it.
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Thank you, Carolyn, for sharing your Oasis with me, my sister and my two nephews. It was the absolute highlight of our trip to the Big Bend area. So glad we were able to see the Lucifer Hummingbird and so many other new birds. Thanks for your welcome!!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! That's what makes all the hard work worthwhile.
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