I survived migration!

Normally, migration is the last week of April and the first week of May. However, birding was almost at its best the second week of May. And birders just kept coming. During that bonus week, I was sick with what I think was covid. In bed for two days. Then I had to deal with difficult trespassers, a difficult neighbor, watering, and more. So it was an exciting, but hectic week. I was really glad the birding was good since there were so many birders visiting. It's always a letdown when migration is over. 

Birders are the best! However difficult things are, birders make it so worth it! I plan to hang on until my last breath.

It surprised me how tiny this American Redstart looks on a Prickly Pear Cactus!

And this would've been a great  Yellow Warbler photo if it had been sharp. Never saw one with a fanned tail before.

Fall migration will be here before we know it! Meanwhile, I sure hope we get at least one good monsoon. I feel optimistic about it. 

Catch up

As I was approaching the oasis this morning, a bear was departing. As usual, he left fresh scat at the oasis. But no damage, and no bird seed in the scat.

Another trunk of that cottonwood tree is in imminent danger of falling. It was erect two days ago and now it's leaning precariously. Shouldn't do damage if it falls into the dry dragonfly pond. It might clip the edge of the big Live Oak. If it stays up until my son gets here in a few days, he can attach a rope to it and guide the fall to where it won't damage anything.

I watered for a few hours this morning, then after lunch I sat at the back water drip to see what was showing up in the heat of the day. Here are a few photos I snapped of the action.

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Hepatic Tanager

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Bullock's Oriole

Townsend's Warbler

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, It's unusual for this time of year. Seems to be molting.

A week or so ago I took off the sheet covering my couple dozen stored extra hummingbird feeders to discover mice had gotten into them, and left them covered in droppings, and whatever. I had to take them all in and clean them. A big job at a time when I was overwhelmed with migration and birders and watering. No wonder it escaped mention at the time!

The Texas Ornithological Society wanted a photo of me with my Dennis Shepler Birding Ambassador award so my son took one for them. Here it is. (I'm even wearing the shirt Dennis designed for me.)

 

I think that about catches me up.

Bad things come in threes!

I hope that old adage is true, and it'll stop at three! First the big non-leaking tank failed and won't hold water anymore, then my husband wrecked our car, and today I went to the oasis, planning to water, only to discover a dead cottonwood tree had fallen across the path and was crushing my precious Mexican Blue Oak. There's a small relict population of them on my mountain and this one was started years ago from an acorn from that little motte.

So instead of watering, I called my husband to come cut up the dead tree. While waiting the two hours for him to get there from Alpine, I cut away some small limbs, attempting to free the oak tree as much as I could. And I piled up lots of twigs. Wore myself out. Then when Hugh arrived, I wanted to work slowly, so we didn't trip over twigs and fall. But in his typical fashion, he rushed at breakneck speed to get through and back to town. In the process, he cut into my best water hose. But by the time we got the cut-up tree loaded into his pickup, I was way too exhausted to think about watering.

On this first photo (rear center) you can see what's still standing of the dead cottonwood tree. On the left side of photo is the Mexican Blue Oak. One large limb on it was snapped off and had to be removed, but several others were just smashed down. I was able to tie them up until they regain their form. A wonderful birder, Joseph Ramsey, helped us out. He was a life saver for me!

On this next photo, the oak is just left of center. To visiting birders, the trees are probably just vegetation for birds, but to me, they're like family. 😀

During our Big Sit (May 6) Mike Gray took a photo of a hummer that expert Kelly Bryan ID'd as a Ruby-throated. Quite unusual for this time of year. It's still there. Perhaps a somewhat atypical individual still in molt. There have been near-continuous birders at the oasis lately, and many have remarked about this bird.

I think I need to let my body recover tomorrow. Then Tuesday I'll go back and do the watering. That's my plan, anyway.

A great big sit!

The weather was lovely all day...  after the sun came out. Before then I got chilled, but don't seem to have any ill effects from it. Fingers crossed. We saw more birds than we'd seen on a Big Sit before, I think. Having an ace birder (Stephen Falick) helped a lot. I could barely keep up jotting them down as he called them out.

That doesn't mean we'll win the competition. This year there were a couple more teams competing and I don't know their habitat or skill, so we'll see. Fun either way! Another team member, Jeff Bennett, joined us after these photos were taken. Such a fun group! 

There have been 275 species documented at the oasis, so it's hard to get another, but today it happened. A swallow flew over after Stephen had left to chase a rare bird that showed up in Marathon today. We weren't sure what the swallow was, but decided upon Violet-green Swallow. Then a visiting young ace birder (Camille Conner) informed us she had gotten a photo of it, and it was a Bank Swallow. These young birders these days are awesome! Photo by Camille. 

Another no-nap day, so I'm exhausted and headed to bed!

UPDATE: Mike Gray did his best during the Big Sit to get photos of the Crissal Thrashers at the nest. This is the best that can be done without cutting away the brush, which we won't do for fear it would compromise the nesting success. The twig walls are sort of part of the nest. I wouldn't change it.

And here's Camille's photo of an adult carrying food to the nest!

Crissal-mas surprise!

Birders were sitting at the back water drip, hoping to see a Crissal Thrasher, when they observed the Crissals carrying food to a nest. I commented that I had been sure the nest was to the north side of the water drip in a dense thicket, but the birds seemed to be carrying the grub south of the drip. About then one of the astute birders exclaimed that he saw the nest and the nestlings being fed. OMG! It wasn't even ten feet from the water drip, where constant human activity takes place.

It still took a while for them to get me on it, so well hidden it was. After I gave up on trying to get a photo, I went and got my son to try. He positioned himself in the best possible view, which was still practically no view at all. Then, I covered him with a gray sheet and departed, so as to create as little a human footprint as possible.

It took a while, but he eventually got a couple of diagnostic shots. I couldn't find any at all online, so his may be the only ones that exist. Surely not, but if so, I understand why. I hope to try for better photos, but only if it can be done without risking disturbing the birds.

One fed, one still hungry! Duly noted!

The nestling Black-chinned Hummingbird seems to be thriving too.

Birds still appear to be wading into the water for Fairy Shrimp. Amazing!

Black-headed Grosbeak

Lots happening

First, here's the Dennis Shepler award video I promised you. Watching it today for the first time, I can tell I was nervous on the interview, but as is my nature, I soldiered on for posterity! LOL 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1PmM0qRRJg

Migration is going along smoothly. Lots of happy birds, and birders. Today a rare (to the area) Hooded Warbler spent all day foraging in the mud of the dragonfly pond, or drinking and bathing at the drip. Happy birders watched until a different bird would catch their attention.

As good as today was, it didn't make up for my disappointment yesterday in missing a rare adult male Cape May Warbler. I'd only ever seen a drab female. When it showed up at the oasis, all the birders present were frantically searching for me, but by the time I wandered back to the oasis, it couldn't be relocated. I'll post a photo of it as soon as the photographer that promised it to me delivers. I had been walking down the road along the arroyo to see what birds were there. I didn't see any. Lesson learned. I guess since the water is at the oasis, that's where all the birds are.

I also wasn't consoled with this nice Black-throated Gray Warbler that dropped by for a snack and drink yesterday on its journey to the Rocky Mountains, or wherever. 

Now that I'm back in town for a couple of days, I'll probably miss a great bird. Such is my life! If only I could be two places at once. I guess we all wish that.

I spent all day watering at the oasis, no nap, so pretty exhausted right now.