Blog glitch

About a week ago my blog started not letting me comment on comments. I'm not sure I'm even getting comments anymore. I had an expert check all my settings, etc. and it seems to be a problem that google is having. So until they fix it, I want you to know that I enjoy and appreciate all your comments and would respond if I could.

Yesterday my son and I went to the oasis to service feeders and water. I also got him to do a small project for me, which I really appreciated. I'd like to get all the horsetails out of the back pond, but that would be a huge project that would kill the hackberry tree that sprouted in the pond, so  he cleaned the horsetails out for now. It's possible that by letting the pond go dry for about six months this winter the horsetails will die.

before

Not only do they not fit into the native look I prefer, but they get dry and die back a lot, not to mention blocking views of birds for birders.

after

(The first photo was taken in the early morning and the last one in the afternoon so lighting is different.)

Blooms, but not many birds

It's been brought to my attention that I haven't blogged in well over two weeks. For anyone that's concerned because of that, all is well here. Weather has been great; cooler and occasional light showers. Nothing interesting going on, just same nesting species and plenty of things blooming. Oasis looks lovely! 

Sea Urchin (coryphantha echinus)

Cactus Wren nest-building

Any day now migrant hummers will start showing up and before I know it fall migration will be in full swing.

I can't complain about my health. It's good for an 84 year old. At this stage of my life, I'm losing peers, friends, and relatives. Two brothers and one son are dealing with prostate cancer. My ailments are very minor, so I'm grateful for that!

Another lovely oasis day!

Yet again, I arrived shortly after daylight. Checked the tanks and no alarming amount of leakage. Enjoyed the lushness since the rain, and the wonderful quietude that is always lacking in Alpine.

I noticed that a critter had defecated not far from the seed feeder, but I saw no evidence of bear. Not sure what it was. I think the scat is composed of berries and berry seeds, not feeder seeds. Perhaps a Ringtail? Seemed like a really large assemblage for a Ringtail though.

My intrepid niece found a Common Poorwill nest on a slope along the driveway in. One egg hatched today, but she rushed away so as not to stress the adult that flushed, so can't tell if the nestling is alive or not, but I would presume it is.*

Back at the oasis, I had noticed during that big rain last month that a portion of a walkway flooded, so I dug a ditch near it and built the walk up with the dirt. The ditch heads to my newly planted Faxon Yucca, so it should work out good for that too.

And after rain, pruning has to be done, so I pushed myself to the limit doing that as well. Had to nap before heading back to town.

I think we'll get some rain from Hurricane Beryl, but none yet. South of us a ways got an inch yesterday. That's how it goes.

Here's a blooming Sea-Urchin Cactus that my awesome niece photographed today. I stopped to look at it as I headed back to town but it was closed up by the time I went by.

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UPDATE: This morning my niece did a quick check on the nest and found the baby all fluffed up. The second egg will hopefully hatch today.

All good!

I just love precocial* chicks, maybe because when I was a child we raised chickens. Here are a couple of clips of quail chicks from my trail cam yesterday. They're finally big enough to climb into the drip bath. (Somehow I didn't get the year set right on the cam. Every time the batteries run down I have to reset it and sometimes it messes up. The temperature is right though.)

Dragonflies are abundant at the oasis, and surprisingly, so far, mosquitoes haven't been bad. Today I had not one, but two, Five-striped Leaftails. That was a treat! Otherwise, just the usual suspects.

One of my most favorite plants that grow naturally on my property is Faxon Yucca. I only have one  patch (of three) that are well outside the oasis. Here's my most recent photo, which I took in 2020, but they bloom almost every year.

Years ago my sister bought one at a plant sale and recently harvested some new sprouts from it. She gave me one, which I planted at the oasis today. When they get big they're somewhat like palm trees. Hopefully, I'll live long enough to enjoy it big. Gonna water it a lot. Right now it's under this grass.

I took my sister's advice and covered it with grasses and twigs to shade it until it gets well established. I just hope critters don't uproot it. I have a big problem with that. We'll see. Faxon Yuccas are actually relict plants from when times here were cooler and wetter, but will do well with extra water.

The other two native species that I love from my property are Fragrant Ash and Mexican Blue Oak (also a relict species). They both grow up on top of our mountain. I haven't had any luck with the ash, but do have a Mexican Blue Oak grown from an acorn off a tree in our small motte on the mountain.

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* Precocial chicks are those that can walk, run, and feed themselves soon after hatching. Ducks are precocial also, which I adore equally.