Beary and birdy

 The bear is winning!

At least I know the unwelcome mat isn't working, so I can remove that. Gonna put a larger pipe on top, maybe even weld it. We had the current one screwed in tight. I don't know how the bear could have gotten it down. However, and that's a big HOWEVER, I reckon he'll pull it down again. The weakest part gives first, and now something else will be the weakest part. But gotta keep on keepin' on...

Of course the bear left his usual oversized calling card. Not that I need one to know who visited.

So, I watered today, which was enjoyable because there were so many birds. White-throated Swifts swarmed over the big tank for about two hours, which never fails to delight me! I estimate there were between 75-100. Impossible to count, or photograph.

There are still a couple of juvenile male Lucifers around, which is really late for them I think. Nothing real unusual like I've been having in Alpine, but the oasis looks lovely for it being well into November.

Here's a bobcat my sister got on her game cam a week ago.(I just took this still from her video)

Tomorrow I'm hoping to start building a rock and concrete retainer wall at the top of the big hill where the ditch is washing into the road. Don't know if I still have that kind of work in me. We'll see.

I also want to mention that day before yesterday at my birdbath in town a male Red Crossbill showed up ever so briefly. Looking out the window to the birdbath means looking toward the sun, which is bad for photography. At least I can document stuff that I otherwise wouldn't have, or see.

Usually, when there's a year that crossbills visit (called an irruptive year), they forage on pines and junipers at the cemetery. So yesterday morning I went out to the cemetery to check, and serendipitously got to witness a flock of about thirty fly in. I posted it online, and soon birders were out there getting to enjoy them too. That was fun!