tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38921398254475993802024-03-18T02:47:46.071-07:00CHRISTMAS MOUNTAINS OASISPhoto journal of Carolyn Ohl-Johnson.Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.comBlogger2709125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-36963487399339134502024-03-16T18:33:00.000-07:002024-03-16T18:33:10.334-07:00Trying to keep up<p>Lucifers were nearly two weeks late arriving at the oasis this year. Here's a photo by Dan Richards of the first arrival, still not finished molting in spite of being late.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtii5_t3IJl95yG8FoeuHKqsaVOmsIoujnb6PnjOo0fDMHRcQp1C4yRsYMQaCUgDw7EYK0pzdwbfH0RK2QUJCADBCuCqwTKP1YOBWNzq199905_tMhW300Es8eAKxnC_BLZCmenAVTF4zmSGyaVGj4CiWMYyfDB-2MFt3-AN0OIWt-XJctibgH17PyT-I/s503/2024%203-10%20DanRichards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="503" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtii5_t3IJl95yG8FoeuHKqsaVOmsIoujnb6PnjOo0fDMHRcQp1C4yRsYMQaCUgDw7EYK0pzdwbfH0RK2QUJCADBCuCqwTKP1YOBWNzq199905_tMhW300Es8eAKxnC_BLZCmenAVTF4zmSGyaVGj4CiWMYyfDB-2MFt3-AN0OIWt-XJctibgH17PyT-I/w400-h364/2024%203-10%20DanRichards.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Times have been hectic lately what with one thing and another. And time is not kind. Not only are the inground tanks at the oasis hopelessly decaying, but our bodies are too. My oldest son had to have major surgery this week, less than two years after my daughter had that brain tumor removed. My knees do not work anymore and my jaw is still hurting while chewing. No idea if that'll be permanent or not. Gonna call the dentist Monday. He has been closed for spring break. </p><p><br /></p><p>Today my grandson celebrated his 50th birthday. That makes me pretty ancient. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaiL5psMIgx6acKoAHpZECrngav_M8hxUyftcs7PQ-jpZIZHrCXUOrsLgaeTijKKb6mQFIl4f2BiRKkRNRjpG7oX6F8Na3b2W8OmY5nwc4dINH5hh8au3CogBDt-FcuoqzPmqa6kccPEY0zYHmemr33XBzL4AYQvyC8EmqaEFyulmFaC4VFsXmoD5yek/s2226/2024%203-16%20ALP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1707" data-original-width="2226" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaiL5psMIgx6acKoAHpZECrngav_M8hxUyftcs7PQ-jpZIZHrCXUOrsLgaeTijKKb6mQFIl4f2BiRKkRNRjpG7oX6F8Na3b2W8OmY5nwc4dINH5hh8au3CogBDt-FcuoqzPmqa6kccPEY0zYHmemr33XBzL4AYQvyC8EmqaEFyulmFaC4VFsXmoD5yek/w400-h306/2024%203-16%20ALP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>But I'm just grateful to still be around and in as good a shape as I am.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here's my 18 year old great-grandson. It all boggles my mind. Or maybe it's old age that boggles my mind.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiHJHNkI94n7rIh8km7RVYphIbOD0OOGqjTeLgLXQRlne-o-SalQZXKpKVo8thGOlBkzuMo1PV97YGykq8DEElG3FV2EsVIgowlat15D7kYQnYJIhpOMjEuIdaJfaEuM03MkHBYY965RUepGFVppBo8OVNd6Z9bmT-Rp1yvJfFCNqXsm2unlu2ZX9ta4/s1615/2024%203-7%20Logan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1615" data-original-width="1079" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiHJHNkI94n7rIh8km7RVYphIbOD0OOGqjTeLgLXQRlne-o-SalQZXKpKVo8thGOlBkzuMo1PV97YGykq8DEElG3FV2EsVIgowlat15D7kYQnYJIhpOMjEuIdaJfaEuM03MkHBYY965RUepGFVppBo8OVNd6Z9bmT-Rp1yvJfFCNqXsm2unlu2ZX9ta4/w428-h640/2024%203-7%20Logan.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-10140381355703232152024-03-03T13:01:00.000-08:002024-03-03T13:05:17.529-08:00Oasis today<p> My son and I went to the oasis this morning to service feeders. The weather was perfect. While there I saw a dead bat that doesn't look familiar. I'm not real familiar with bats at all, but sure don't recall seeing one with such big ears. Anyone know what kind it is?</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZ7JyO1D7hmIteYX6OGuTcB7ywQLuRkPZEwUDh39hjysVgQI7lodW3GQbdAWvk4tqB1K_ubILzo2fIvni1MXdN8qgQ1q6vID-eYmNp5NmHCJEBgRiaIOfOyIMyPPfqTG5jbNWv7BjMSeHExkZNJpSskWnNQAlq-oj3l4pFV85f-FU5xZBmWu8EPUgkHw/s3264/20240303_115802.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZ7JyO1D7hmIteYX6OGuTcB7ywQLuRkPZEwUDh39hjysVgQI7lodW3GQbdAWvk4tqB1K_ubILzo2fIvni1MXdN8qgQ1q6vID-eYmNp5NmHCJEBgRiaIOfOyIMyPPfqTG5jbNWv7BjMSeHExkZNJpSskWnNQAlq-oj3l4pFV85f-FU5xZBmWu8EPUgkHw/w400-h300/20240303_115802.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVY6blrBdyOSOoXvzEfyeNuEsW-vTGd1s9zlGsVmvLb91MC33s55Cm7Pir-Uo5LtiD0MJs0Uz5bbBpi8qCoiWeHBY6WRk_zDn4MaTp-ElVDWl4sEIc9W6AgpvMMcR18da70MYzxp1bs7JJkv62RXnpJiBd0OraEYC4kzRrin0c7pCzub5bO3HvkzpF1fU/s3264/20240303_115831.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVY6blrBdyOSOoXvzEfyeNuEsW-vTGd1s9zlGsVmvLb91MC33s55Cm7Pir-Uo5LtiD0MJs0Uz5bbBpi8qCoiWeHBY6WRk_zDn4MaTp-ElVDWl4sEIc9W6AgpvMMcR18da70MYzxp1bs7JJkv62RXnpJiBd0OraEYC4kzRrin0c7pCzub5bO3HvkzpF1fU/w480-h640/20240303_115831.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>It was disappointing that no Lucifer Hummingbirds have arrived yet, but I did see an <b>Anna's</b>. Maybe it'll nest here this year.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUY3phirfx-HKV-CWWUr6E0c7fL0yxq3hsEF-aIRiSlOo6WFcMeCUIFE-9M3IDsxr4v7SyaQ6H1bTYVObYRjTLqMv1kfk0OtjoxGQaYgtH6c4L_7Z4k3iIo1HTNLcqCmsyPncYwR11TXKSsZoqpbWziYhA1VWNQs3-9vLzYJYt3rRid7DK2xfzJItTQ-M/s4740/2024%203-3%20CMO%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4740" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUY3phirfx-HKV-CWWUr6E0c7fL0yxq3hsEF-aIRiSlOo6WFcMeCUIFE-9M3IDsxr4v7SyaQ6H1bTYVObYRjTLqMv1kfk0OtjoxGQaYgtH6c4L_7Z4k3iIo1HTNLcqCmsyPncYwR11TXKSsZoqpbWziYhA1VWNQs3-9vLzYJYt3rRid7DK2xfzJItTQ-M/w400-h291/2024%203-3%20CMO%20(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I'm doing pretty well with my teeth. Still can't chew steak. Enjoyed an apple, but a bit painful on the jaw. Gotta build muscles back up. Even chewing macaroni is a treat versus drinking it!</p><p><br /></p><p>A couple of days ago I got my first Jeff Davis County (at Musquiz Lake) <b>Eared Grebe</b>.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQKQoFr2YL0-umKdYrWCclVxB9AW4pegO0GLJVB5iMG84PJou5PWPFLTBVCRD3txJ3mq1ms72retcBElcha_Gt37o5XOjabkbQg500OXiAus4aMZ8DDfcWykKcbZNrEXlBtwcsPhd52KTmJwbccjnnG61pTaxBsqArJxBBWsMPIE50VsEDlseGNQbk4o/s2238/2024%203-1%20Musquiz%20(14).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1710" data-original-width="2238" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQKQoFr2YL0-umKdYrWCclVxB9AW4pegO0GLJVB5iMG84PJou5PWPFLTBVCRD3txJ3mq1ms72retcBElcha_Gt37o5XOjabkbQg500OXiAus4aMZ8DDfcWykKcbZNrEXlBtwcsPhd52KTmJwbccjnnG61pTaxBsqArJxBBWsMPIE50VsEDlseGNQbk4o/w400-h306/2024%203-1%20Musquiz%20(14).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-1282595605109604052024-02-29T13:27:00.000-08:002024-02-29T14:01:05.406-08:00TEETH at last!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQxNlHyz2zx5GxSNYjJVNhWixGLiiNUHp3QD_dfFfECaDStroF1EGAPK3BpdOv9WQPVMf_x7haYn6Kc4zVo3w8-XF83l_FRXMFUe-EOj1hXzNfPWoeNjFpUDrzxrO8K57RbwNvGS_koNHxMl95cTWr_CEXddPDsyxrjjMB7CleR0oUF-bmm3_ifFsOFY/s1516/2024%202-29.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="1516" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQxNlHyz2zx5GxSNYjJVNhWixGLiiNUHp3QD_dfFfECaDStroF1EGAPK3BpdOv9WQPVMf_x7haYn6Kc4zVo3w8-XF83l_FRXMFUe-EOj1hXzNfPWoeNjFpUDrzxrO8K57RbwNvGS_koNHxMl95cTWr_CEXddPDsyxrjjMB7CleR0oUF-bmm3_ifFsOFY/w400-h299/2024%202-29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p> I'm still having to learn to eat with them, but so relieved the ordeal is over. I think the dentist is great and did his best. Naturally, there are things I would like to have done differently, but I'm not complaining. After not being able to chew for 8 months my jaw is weak and doesn't have real strength to chew, but I'm hoping that will improve. I feel it's important to not overdo and develop some kind of painful jaw issues.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>I went to Musquiz Lake a few days ago and enjoyed seeing this bobcat there. It's extremely rare for me to see one in the daytime, so always a treat.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqc8l_ZtMGkC-ip5RQpk_RwTLNuxo6O7ZWY3yiJzsylIZbaSOtPWlHeqV07xbwpoKfGbp35IRNKwDY9yHvZ_OJojbYqZQjhowcLwiz0zqmQELMmtPkVSr8RklDTw3TcgGTZCB6NH5WsrvAA68C9eAWysVfczXHpgb1DpiCkCMxtOg4rL79gMsvb0gN84/s3006/2024%202-26%20Musquiz%20(25).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2862" data-original-width="3006" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqc8l_ZtMGkC-ip5RQpk_RwTLNuxo6O7ZWY3yiJzsylIZbaSOtPWlHeqV07xbwpoKfGbp35IRNKwDY9yHvZ_OJojbYqZQjhowcLwiz0zqmQELMmtPkVSr8RklDTw3TcgGTZCB6NH5WsrvAA68C9eAWysVfczXHpgb1DpiCkCMxtOg4rL79gMsvb0gN84/w400-h381/2024%202-26%20Musquiz%20(25).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>An adult <b>Allen's Hummingbird</b> showed up at the town feeder yesterday. Still here today. I hope it hangs around for a while.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJZGZHFNygwk_ItzRm_r5Efapyjv8Gc3y4E-8Ietk2etsi-Ot5zDqsoSrta7SDOqvj7gVSDsIlgxs0lvMncImCii82nsbEB8woZtpflc7KZwIeDx37Sav13aQIyL0EUBnyAA23L8kFA6STXG98PQG7OAl1hEgCYkyb8daAMHxZ7l47vwq_WbO7bw8IHk/s3468/2024%202-28%20ALP%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2706" data-original-width="3468" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJZGZHFNygwk_ItzRm_r5Efapyjv8Gc3y4E-8Ietk2etsi-Ot5zDqsoSrta7SDOqvj7gVSDsIlgxs0lvMncImCii82nsbEB8woZtpflc7KZwIeDx37Sav13aQIyL0EUBnyAA23L8kFA6STXG98PQG7OAl1hEgCYkyb8daAMHxZ7l47vwq_WbO7bw8IHk/w400-h313/2024%202-28%20ALP%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-31705025109985197032024-02-21T16:58:00.000-08:002024-02-21T17:00:55.721-08:00Countdown to teeth!<p>I finally have a sort of date now. The teeth are supposed to arrive to the dentist from the lab on Monday afternoon (Feb. 26). They'll call me the next morning to schedule me. Surely, they'll take pity on me and work me in promptly, either Tuesday or the next day! I guess that's progress. My mouth has now pretty much healed. Some soreness, but no pain, so it's all uphill from here!</p><p><br /></p><p>I went birding to Musquiz Lake a couple of days ago, probably partly in desperation to divert my attention from my dental woes. LOL It was a fun diversion. I saw elk and got photos of a <b>Black-crowned Night-Heron.</b> Since winter is normally a bleak time, it doesn't take much to make me happy.</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0z-_qdBF-ZqgSJAID2CI040UCQHdizur_BAN06usu1SdXgxrTyy8fvjtuiXXe_IDJdzyh6_PYDlMl47NA2netR7GaAqXceO2cODLeVJElWi8RhduaYhkOTfRHCV8LH2dj2Fq_wlqi8mjXEM_8ZGqxonOuT9p0FUh-fG-XD_fuQzizxp3IG6lMRyugDg/s3948/2024%202-20%20Musquiz%20(32).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3360" data-original-width="3948" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0z-_qdBF-ZqgSJAID2CI040UCQHdizur_BAN06usu1SdXgxrTyy8fvjtuiXXe_IDJdzyh6_PYDlMl47NA2netR7GaAqXceO2cODLeVJElWi8RhduaYhkOTfRHCV8LH2dj2Fq_wlqi8mjXEM_8ZGqxonOuT9p0FUh-fG-XD_fuQzizxp3IG6lMRyugDg/w400-h340/2024%202-20%20Musquiz%20(32).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LnoL7d7MlK23dJriHQqqF71TznkCYIMcifVBlI8Vok-_VCsNppq9b9j2wVno2Qx7Z1vjOd3t4HmblOPYNb_lhcccl2zgt29E41P9LRVjtGmQ9ifIQfmzOF9hmGakzNp2jV8Chq7I-PpLCNRaD6aIfazwcw1QdFzNlleRzeYty5FGjDBrlOheKebF7nc/s2346/2024%202-19%20Musquiz%20(25).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2040" data-original-width="2346" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LnoL7d7MlK23dJriHQqqF71TznkCYIMcifVBlI8Vok-_VCsNppq9b9j2wVno2Qx7Z1vjOd3t4HmblOPYNb_lhcccl2zgt29E41P9LRVjtGmQ9ifIQfmzOF9hmGakzNp2jV8Chq7I-PpLCNRaD6aIfazwcw1QdFzNlleRzeYty5FGjDBrlOheKebF7nc/w400-h348/2024%202-19%20Musquiz%20(25).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Back in Alpine, my husband watered the blue bonnets that were near the apricot tree... for days. Big mistake! Now the tree is in full bloom and it's only February.<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnIB90t_8SotQZyc05NZd3DFCMEyZnn5xKu5JKdgY4oIE47iV64nXwJ2S11IeZplJtSwFIn2dq6KcA4QC_I0Ysb5_qveDeW6N7SWmja6j1EK5AJ9TpnT6mVRREHfOFnaUWkxxxWSMAN3jr2MmqX6x5t0fa7KclgEYao5LfPiFOAMfgFyhKJiZAJzakcU/s5472/DSC02423.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnIB90t_8SotQZyc05NZd3DFCMEyZnn5xKu5JKdgY4oIE47iV64nXwJ2S11IeZplJtSwFIn2dq6KcA4QC_I0Ysb5_qveDeW6N7SWmja6j1EK5AJ9TpnT6mVRREHfOFnaUWkxxxWSMAN3jr2MmqX6x5t0fa7KclgEYao5LfPiFOAMfgFyhKJiZAJzakcU/w400-h266/DSC02423.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Maybe we'll get lucky this year and no March freeze.<b> Inca Doves </b>are mating already.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOZPe6hdI3Y6Q6725XhwwQ6SmzSLjFZjefkgoYfbQi8uZnD7vJ_Iusi_l3aKHdZ4rITz2_NErDprDcw_MmPrnq1PP33-UldVSf7g35E40Uuf_2UukqWElRmlbsuEjRwSkzW3p4Azh6ADkq-2Ogo9FQL_988HRqYu-0gB4Isqf7kCUr9pqlCag6t3ZnDs/s4044/2024%202-21%20ALP.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3258" data-original-width="4044" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOZPe6hdI3Y6Q6725XhwwQ6SmzSLjFZjefkgoYfbQi8uZnD7vJ_Iusi_l3aKHdZ4rITz2_NErDprDcw_MmPrnq1PP33-UldVSf7g35E40Uuf_2UukqWElRmlbsuEjRwSkzW3p4Azh6ADkq-2Ogo9FQL_988HRqYu-0gB4Isqf7kCUr9pqlCag6t3ZnDs/w400-h323/2024%202-21%20ALP.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I feel the excitement in the air! Lucifers are likely making their way toward the oasis as I write this, and next week I'll be able to eat! Life is good!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KyNL8WR-AxPtFv00ibVOVNt69FcQG2I7eh6Me47neIoq1U47fWVGJRaI8LbUy12RHcFaIJ52vdH8OiBBHXVMR2VpKQkmsEqSamn4dRz0CHgg3D2pyGlbqIIsTW1dh_jOpm4VGyhZ7vItKotSEpkTcAyuaPTtfcswUnC86fpx5YyShfiq9icWLCQJzoI/s645/Ann's%20book.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="645" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KyNL8WR-AxPtFv00ibVOVNt69FcQG2I7eh6Me47neIoq1U47fWVGJRaI8LbUy12RHcFaIJ52vdH8OiBBHXVMR2VpKQkmsEqSamn4dRz0CHgg3D2pyGlbqIIsTW1dh_jOpm4VGyhZ7vItKotSEpkTcAyuaPTtfcswUnC86fpx5YyShfiq9icWLCQJzoI/w400-h251/Ann's%20book.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(My sister with her new book)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-35559890680453148362024-02-15T16:09:00.000-08:002024-02-15T16:09:59.263-08:00Happy oasis<p>When the oasis is happy, I'm happy. My son and I went down today to service feeders and water. All went smoothly, and the weather was calm and overcast. I'm still not up to speed health-wise so was really dragging after a couple of hours. But I'm happy to report the bear-proof feeder is working perfectly, finally. The birds are all over it, indicating they're getting plenty of seed out, yet in the past six days it looked like less than 20 lbs. had been consumed. That's way less than before the tweaking. Totally bear-proof and doesn't waste seed. All good.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVShVXsN5cRBuGs2VtGB_YlTg4WU_WkKh-niOnd9J6yRs8TrzAyqEleT9nbm87IePbLkMTekTl710uSJ6pF-U5gHrxtf91ssT_wxb7te6wS1RGCv0VNjci67xro7z66wYdyQENOaKystxAA3cOqJ1IfbTxsTERjdO9v_KyQvCNcNa7XmgPuKc7tlZiC4/s5316/2024%202-15%20CMO%20(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2772" data-original-width="5316" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVShVXsN5cRBuGs2VtGB_YlTg4WU_WkKh-niOnd9J6yRs8TrzAyqEleT9nbm87IePbLkMTekTl710uSJ6pF-U5gHrxtf91ssT_wxb7te6wS1RGCv0VNjci67xro7z66wYdyQENOaKystxAA3cOqJ1IfbTxsTERjdO9v_KyQvCNcNa7XmgPuKc7tlZiC4/w400-h209/2024%202-15%20CMO%20(5).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLA31ow9L6izn32cLv8NnnZLbkXwU_dkLK9kQz0b3prEuvSzxl70mknrWkNOEGN7gwCMl7tIh1TYixkAhbRe9VogrHqmAPpFwt53q5DS6YwyJtEtNWvS50-XPfMTji5rgNieVSArMv3qkTlAwFcoe3_PIwhjHl-7wzNY5uHFBvS8Rjf_Oz_I0s6G2TNZU/s4239/2024%202-15%20CMO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4239" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLA31ow9L6izn32cLv8NnnZLbkXwU_dkLK9kQz0b3prEuvSzxl70mknrWkNOEGN7gwCMl7tIh1TYixkAhbRe9VogrHqmAPpFwt53q5DS6YwyJtEtNWvS50-XPfMTji5rgNieVSArMv3qkTlAwFcoe3_PIwhjHl-7wzNY5uHFBvS8Rjf_Oz_I0s6G2TNZU/w400-h214/2024%202-15%20CMO.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>We pumped some water from the rock above ground tank (the one that holds about 11,000 gallons) into the stucco tank because the stucco tank is almost empty. The birds loved the stream it made going into the tank. This photo contains at least seven birds.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3E6fzpg9I_92cisNyvvLsBA9-gbXUAHSI7Ml2nCEvQl3yA1Ci4m23gDyUA669c3IhbTgKm0_k7bIvUUVB4wzfnNMKTeMRSdfaxYtqqL1lNOKETQ8LwgjVS8uXFg83m25piWfsQApWGDAJq5uMq5sDhAppcaege0OBd78hkpXsO9znUOsw6hRUQ_8wwY/s3600/2024%202-15%20CMO%20(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="3476" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3E6fzpg9I_92cisNyvvLsBA9-gbXUAHSI7Ml2nCEvQl3yA1Ci4m23gDyUA669c3IhbTgKm0_k7bIvUUVB4wzfnNMKTeMRSdfaxYtqqL1lNOKETQ8LwgjVS8uXFg83m25piWfsQApWGDAJq5uMq5sDhAppcaege0OBd78hkpXsO9znUOsw6hRUQ_8wwY/w386-h400/2024%202-15%20CMO%20(4).JPG" width="386" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The <b>Anna's hummingbird</b> is still present. Hard to believe that in two weeks Lucifers will be back, which to me signifies the beginning of spring. YAY</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAV17JOooXOjh0uzoSnzZZpOdmjUA19IJf2rvfcpOqQPmulAu-1sHUx0HOZILsFfSvQwQcGK3jQXVYQiEbsPAhbkSts51RAQMxyUCAyYUkGZIafEFXMVryTPS8nvK6oNjfsmphJubuQjF6JYPDlXC7KBFvIQLqjMf8vreN36CiZ3aQEUkKioluHoK39A/s2868/2024%202-15%20CMO%20(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2784" data-original-width="2868" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAV17JOooXOjh0uzoSnzZZpOdmjUA19IJf2rvfcpOqQPmulAu-1sHUx0HOZILsFfSvQwQcGK3jQXVYQiEbsPAhbkSts51RAQMxyUCAyYUkGZIafEFXMVryTPS8nvK6oNjfsmphJubuQjF6JYPDlXC7KBFvIQLqjMf8vreN36CiZ3aQEUkKioluHoK39A/w400-h389/2024%202-15%20CMO%20(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-17109761275032076662024-02-13T11:14:00.000-08:002024-02-13T16:13:09.025-08:00My dental curse<p>For more years than I can remember I've talked about my dental curse. Here are a couple of excerpts from old blog posts. This one in 2013: </p><p><br /></p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-size: 13px;">Today I had to drive to Odessa to the dentist. Here's how the conversation started after I got into the dentist chair.</span><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-size: 13px;">Dr: What can I do for you today?</span><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-size: 13px;">Me: My [implant] bar broke.</span><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-size: 13px;">Dr: No they can't break. It's not possible. In my 20 years of putting them in, I've never seen one break.</span><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-size: 13px;">Me: But remember, I told you once that I'm under a dental curse.</span><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-size: 13px;">Dr: (after looking into my mouth): You're not under a dental curse, you </span><b style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">are</b><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-size: 13px;"> a dental curse!</span></p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></p><p>And this one from 2014:</p><p><br /></p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-size: 13px;">I had to go to the dentist in Odessa today. I hate that trip, but one more visit might be the final one. I say "might," because I'm under a dental curse and anything that can go wrong, does.</span></p><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></p><p>The last time I saw my dentist 2 weeks ago, he asked if I was excited about getting teeth in 2 weeks. Knowing my history, I wasn't acting excited, I guess, and I replied, "I'm cautiously optimistic." Best I could do.</p><p><br /></p><p>I hadn't heard anything this week, so called to see if he'd gotten the teeth from the lab yet. I was told that he had a death in the family (his wife's father) and wouldn't be back in town this week. Next week he'll be way backed up. Of course on my first visit to him I warned him about my dental curse. LOL</p><p><br /></p><p>My plan is to call Monday and implore him to squeeze me in, even if final adjustments have to be postponed to a later date.</p><p><br /></p><p>The other day I was surprised to look out into our deer-proof fenced back yard to see a<b> Gray Fox </b>eating pecans. Never witnessed that before. I watched him jump the fence when he left.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTvx_L0r4SeBt9PT10whyphenhyphentgRoYWEfbOi5y7C4xZq_bxQmNQj-XYgG2lRpHrWxFGjDvHfQn0oFo56zQvr3pV0YsiagAgu4BCO60SZaoovr0MC9W6mQ136mHiHjyPap6GeNOa_xVzHNKFs-vZHTb8GEekpEIL7Q3_yJHQxrrD_zGYPKbAKWaGRdWflLaFE/s2934/2024%202-10%20ALP%20(11).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2568" data-original-width="2934" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTvx_L0r4SeBt9PT10whyphenhyphentgRoYWEfbOi5y7C4xZq_bxQmNQj-XYgG2lRpHrWxFGjDvHfQn0oFo56zQvr3pV0YsiagAgu4BCO60SZaoovr0MC9W6mQ136mHiHjyPap6GeNOa_xVzHNKFs-vZHTb8GEekpEIL7Q3_yJHQxrrD_zGYPKbAKWaGRdWflLaFE/w400-h350/2024%202-10%20ALP%20(11).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I finally got to photograph the <b>White-tailed Kite </b>being seen north of Alpine even though it was too far away for a good photo. I try to focus on the good things in life. My mouth doesn't hurt much anymore, so physically I'm good enough, I guess. Shouldn't complain. It's not like one gets old and dies in perfect health!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Uxb4ACJVL7D8KYjHy31sy52RRaxqNUT2Z_1hAo5OiChSo_bMvTGU4RD3-JsTCrPdfpMv4pINEUI_m268iFvhyphenhyphenZTvurduJiU5GWYSUFSBzh4Ftqg6Hym_LRpfd6pPNxCltVKupMgHObU9PabSwt8R5BIGRa0UOso0AZY8dvqXLrR8V4GAYTxNbde1gX0/s1842/2024%202-12%20Hwy118%20(8).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1842" data-original-width="1374" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Uxb4ACJVL7D8KYjHy31sy52RRaxqNUT2Z_1hAo5OiChSo_bMvTGU4RD3-JsTCrPdfpMv4pINEUI_m268iFvhyphenhyphenZTvurduJiU5GWYSUFSBzh4Ftqg6Hym_LRpfd6pPNxCltVKupMgHObU9PabSwt8R5BIGRa0UOso0AZY8dvqXLrR8V4GAYTxNbde1gX0/w478-h640/2024%202-12%20Hwy118%20(8).JPG" width="478" /></a></div><br /><p>Additionally, it's hard not to get down about the destruction and overpopulation of our beautiful planet. I read horror stories about it every day. Just this morning someone posted this photo on a local Facebook group about recent damage to a previously pristine hill in south Brewster County. I guess they hope that by publicly complaining, it'll help. It won't. If the rain forests can't be protected, a hill in Terlingua doesn't stand a chance.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nWZRETWxJ17aucwp5lMiPE5HHtV3vUTRFSZSDItBadOgHsfdLvOVkASecKY3RAr9kLrRA2ALryw0Ai9h06eZ-xxxkeXW3pS0ue7USYkl9DVfEiHiR8RwAEvpyZZa4TumCKEaLWowm1xSBrIJ2i4Y9FP7x8VwtzJvf-6Pe1uEx8utEJpGEEHzvq-SQ2s/s2048/428031636_7287436521315826_7413002077655918435_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nWZRETWxJ17aucwp5lMiPE5HHtV3vUTRFSZSDItBadOgHsfdLvOVkASecKY3RAr9kLrRA2ALryw0Ai9h06eZ-xxxkeXW3pS0ue7USYkl9DVfEiHiR8RwAEvpyZZa4TumCKEaLWowm1xSBrIJ2i4Y9FP7x8VwtzJvf-6Pe1uEx8utEJpGEEHzvq-SQ2s/w400-h300/428031636_7287436521315826_7413002077655918435_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Trying to look on the bright side, even if I had my teeth this week, I wouldn't be able to chew normally until my gum heals from the damage that impression-making ordeal made</p><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-17482069881448214582024-02-09T20:24:00.000-08:002024-02-09T20:51:53.579-08:00Tweaking<p>Too old to twerk, but not too old to tweak. Or watch my son tweak, I should say. LOL We made a short visit to the oasis today to assess the "ground" feeder (the bear-proof one) and hopefully improve its functionality. The birds had gotten some seed out, but not much, after we had filled it only a third full during our previous visit four days ago. However, we need to be able to fill it all the way full in case we can't get down there for a week sometime.</p><p><br /></p><p>So we emptied the heavy feeder, once again, removed it from its base and stabilizing rocks, and shortened the interior hoods. Not clean cuts like he usually does because it was so difficult to get the proper tools into such a tight space, but I think now the feeder will work perfectly.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4t1qVz-R7mDv8AXC5QQQqs-qZ6hFuDKvL2Dp_DdA_Njxuhd2Ii_0BqnMAgIh3jZ1vKIz6e_lIUf5KjEbwJaR3FZSsTcDPbFSH-K5HJe83EOErgQZR54mvLfpwpBjmE1Coce6Vl-oMo8IwhYfSVlachVJIgbPZLQn8nboM9mJACRx2Isfl9zZ-Wov1n1o/s3846/DSC01864.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2760" data-original-width="3846" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4t1qVz-R7mDv8AXC5QQQqs-qZ6hFuDKvL2Dp_DdA_Njxuhd2Ii_0BqnMAgIh3jZ1vKIz6e_lIUf5KjEbwJaR3FZSsTcDPbFSH-K5HJe83EOErgQZR54mvLfpwpBjmE1Coce6Vl-oMo8IwhYfSVlachVJIgbPZLQn8nboM9mJACRx2Isfl9zZ-Wov1n1o/w400-h288/DSC01864.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>In the above photo you're looking down into the tank. The white is the cone that directs the seed toward the ports. Light is shining through the two ports at the top of the photo. They hadn't been shortened when I took this photo. The two hoods on the left and right sides had been cut down. Now the hoods aren't so close to the cone so feed should flow much more freely. We topped off the feeder (80 lbs.), so will see how it looks in a week. I tried to observe while we were there, but I had spread some seed on the ground for the birds while we were working on the feeder and they were feeding only on that. Until it's gone they won't come to the feeder. The hanging feeder is topped off too, so they should be fine until we get back down there.</p><p>Here is what was cut off, to give you a better idea.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjj04kYtR_tKdI_dtqA6t0UqNqlBBDpohCZo4vzdf6S4zr6sEl8FdbIXxrldkLWlmPDoOZldGL0Nwu__EAMIgD2X8sKBi7S4ln8IyZuDNL2r-rNlTA9xj34hqNUGd6GRdBElrQDV4Vzu5KpRCIoaXfDHb3wy7i6EYlk_2XwHZpgzAN-is0uYb_hRZUBe4/s2964/20240209_213949.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2964" data-original-width="1992" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjj04kYtR_tKdI_dtqA6t0UqNqlBBDpohCZo4vzdf6S4zr6sEl8FdbIXxrldkLWlmPDoOZldGL0Nwu__EAMIgD2X8sKBi7S4ln8IyZuDNL2r-rNlTA9xj34hqNUGd6GRdBElrQDV4Vzu5KpRCIoaXfDHb3wy7i6EYlk_2XwHZpgzAN-is0uYb_hRZUBe4/w430-h640/20240209_213949.jpg" width="430" /></a></div><br /><p>I'm pleased to report that I'm feeling much better today. Mouth pain not as bad, vertigo gone, and getting a bit more energy. My blood pressure is perfect with the Amlodipine. My plan is to reduce my dosage once I can eat lots of fruit again. I don't expect to ever be able to eliminate the meds totally, but who knows. (In other words, I'm taking 5 mg and my goal is to get it to 2.5 mg.)</p><p><br /></p><p>After we got back to town, I made my 3rd trip to find a White-tailed Kite that's being seen north of Alpine. No luck again. Gonna try early AM. It's fun looking. Treasure isn't always the result of every treasure hunt.</p><p><br /></p><p>The first time I chased the kite (Feb.5th) I got a nice photo of a<b> Ferruginous Hawk.</b> So that was fun.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuVFTKqs20r_Nb_StDpf9w4XAaliu1jtIcqFF7G90cL5KqnPJA5M-SEfI8Oj-eEstYT4MUllkm9ri9QkZBihm-0yHIXi3PSvcjIGT-Ub0wohFbzZPvLdXzJSetsPEV5_NhJBoN_E0IE2T1LfR_gdfCd25tj4aur7_OIGwbQKe9AN6SFrzu01MKS9dYNQ/s1857/2024%202-6%20Hwy118%20(1).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1542" data-original-width="1857" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuVFTKqs20r_Nb_StDpf9w4XAaliu1jtIcqFF7G90cL5KqnPJA5M-SEfI8Oj-eEstYT4MUllkm9ri9QkZBihm-0yHIXi3PSvcjIGT-Ub0wohFbzZPvLdXzJSetsPEV5_NhJBoN_E0IE2T1LfR_gdfCd25tj4aur7_OIGwbQKe9AN6SFrzu01MKS9dYNQ/w400-h333/2024%202-6%20Hwy118%20(1).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The second time I went with Dale (Feb.7th) and got my best <b>Merlin </b>photo, which was fun too. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93lvbhXDzOJDc3W8Wu43Hri5qmQ-S3WM1VhY0n49qJ2e1JT08uJzf0wXX_bGJeK2qG6baQM2rpIVKIlVQBwNZM-f8cOWjl2FxGBMJSkFVwFbxMPLiVzsXkVQDEKxWOgudXwnlGQRogY28nv8z_0N0tc9s-JB6HEWoClNauql1v81wVo1WQP5zzEXe8MU/s3354/2024%202-7%20Windmill%20(1).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2940" data-original-width="3354" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93lvbhXDzOJDc3W8Wu43Hri5qmQ-S3WM1VhY0n49qJ2e1JT08uJzf0wXX_bGJeK2qG6baQM2rpIVKIlVQBwNZM-f8cOWjl2FxGBMJSkFVwFbxMPLiVzsXkVQDEKxWOgudXwnlGQRogY28nv8z_0N0tc9s-JB6HEWoClNauql1v81wVo1WQP5zzEXe8MU/w400-h351/2024%202-7%20Windmill%20(1).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today was nice weather and with me feeling better, it couldn't have not been enjoyable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-15198656384607479262024-02-06T08:59:00.000-08:002024-02-06T16:48:22.617-08:00A new feeder glitch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT286Yhp54XjS-2XEAZlcMFMTNYOkLN0jsqTMAi-gSbAswQ57AWFI3q64PW7Wd36lansry2AGCsztxr5a55tZs1I-IgBW21RybCct4xXSdNFbYnD40wynIab1-_lotPXpWKiQmRIZZK4uGa2Bu6RaoXH941YHORwFzElPkih5gTz1brDM_6aw9dReo-3U/s5008/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(9).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5008" data-original-width="3488" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT286Yhp54XjS-2XEAZlcMFMTNYOkLN0jsqTMAi-gSbAswQ57AWFI3q64PW7Wd36lansry2AGCsztxr5a55tZs1I-IgBW21RybCct4xXSdNFbYnD40wynIab1-_lotPXpWKiQmRIZZK4uGa2Bu6RaoXH941YHORwFzElPkih5gTz1brDM_6aw9dReo-3U/w446-h640/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(9).JPG" width="446" /></a></div><br /><p>The forever a "work in progress" bear-proof feeder is now BIRD-proof too. Gotta tweak it AGAIN. I didn't know that could happen, but when we got to the oasis yesterday morning the feeder still had the 80 lbs. of seed in it that we had filled it with a week ago. NOT GOOD! (I'm sure the hanging feeder only kept the birds going for a few days.) Best we can figure out is that when we put the cups below the feeder ports, the birds couldn't get their heads inside the ports to bring the seed down. And maybe having so much seed in it with a large portion of sunflower seeds caused it to pack in too tight also. Whatever, it has to get fixed. I had not realized what a fine line there was between letting too much seed out and not letting enough seed out. Notice on a commercial feeder there are "hoods" inside at the top of the port holes to keep the seed from all pouring out. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitT_XvbP2Tc0C0FpM5Cee90UcCmF4ut8jHXVWLznu8-ONtInvA9HTuTy7Yu7Pi8e3Rrl3r6jd8isDHqbs9qGSeLXgXins2kb0mugpx3li8Iglq9GzK5PTFamH74UQYq0VQ7W0fMptD2dpPc_dtmvtvze2rsn-wLgKDApO72NYriXaNJkEOqGpoNucRB4o/s580/feeder.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="412" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitT_XvbP2Tc0C0FpM5Cee90UcCmF4ut8jHXVWLznu8-ONtInvA9HTuTy7Yu7Pi8e3Rrl3r6jd8isDHqbs9qGSeLXgXins2kb0mugpx3li8Iglq9GzK5PTFamH74UQYq0VQ7W0fMptD2dpPc_dtmvtvze2rsn-wLgKDApO72NYriXaNJkEOqGpoNucRB4o/w284-h400/feeder.JPG" width="284" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We did that too. But maybe because our port holes were at the base of the feeder, the seed was being shoveled out by thrashes and whatever. By installing the external cups to contain the seed, apparently it prevented the birds from getting their heads in far enough to shovel out the seed. So, I'm thinking that since the hoods aren't adequate in our situation, and the cups are needed, we can't have the hoods. Lee would have ground down the internal hoods above the ports if he'd have had his grinder with us. We'll go back Friday and do that.</div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1xvrdBHyFIZlogCNaBxrjX5I1PjkRd1MJmBx3we7qEy9_S5Lj5zVsMKPyvH3bJVs3xtKu8TRa2QvEa3qqdRgHt3mo625CkwbB-dScVFcWrcTtFD0T00iGo4cccc6Qe-IYysjhK96KdQTYmnnoxoNz8v0byBTXu98Cv1wmWi1GF4tOpjvU1lxGh1sOrQ/s2056/20240206_083625.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2056" data-original-width="1904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1xvrdBHyFIZlogCNaBxrjX5I1PjkRd1MJmBx3we7qEy9_S5Lj5zVsMKPyvH3bJVs3xtKu8TRa2QvEa3qqdRgHt3mo625CkwbB-dScVFcWrcTtFD0T00iGo4cccc6Qe-IYysjhK96KdQTYmnnoxoNz8v0byBTXu98Cv1wmWi1GF4tOpjvU1lxGh1sOrQ/w370-h400/20240206_083625.jpg" width="370" /></a></div><br /><p>There's the internal cone too that might be a factor. The hanging feeder, which works great, doesn't have internal hoods over the ports, but does have a cone. However, its port holes are a bit smaller. Maybe with external cups the hoods aren't needed. I hate that it's so much work for Lee. The bottom line seems to be that in our situation, we can't have the internal hoods. Scary to remove them, and find out we needed them, so the plan is to just modify them to be smaller. Fingers crossed. Just removing the feeder from its stand to work on is a big undertaking. (Have to remove the stabilizing rocks and lift the heavy feeder off its stand, after emptying the seed out.)</p><p><br /></p><p>I woke up yesterday morning with vertigo and still have it today. Am able to keep it under control with Meclizine, but really dragging, especially watering yesterday. My mouth pain is lessening a little. I do think the vertigo is related to the Herpes Simplex sores I'm dealing with. I'm sure I caught it at the dentist's office. It'll be with me for life now. And what ever other symptoms it causes, maybe my tinnitus and essential tremors, which seem to have worsened since I got it. (Herpes lives inside the nerve cells.) I did have the H Simplex years ago*, but not since the cocktail of antivirals I took for the Hep C. I was so thrilled when it got rid of the herpes, knowing I'd never have to deal with it again. But little did I "know." And not having it for over a year (even through 3 torturous dental surgeries), probably weakened whatever immunity I had to it, so it really whammed me. I will recover, and more than 50% of the world deals with herpes, so I shouldn't complain.</p><p><br /></p><p>A nice male <b>Anna's Hummingbird</b> has been occasionally visiting my Alpine yard.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zCgsGLD9npWN3T__D__Qwjx7NHf9bz9AWengSiMKwguUrR_AVT007cst2D1gVlUm76TycwdfAX1-IjbGDiCKk1uxbXKuh2p4dW3kB3It2RVj-_EEd6qxDkpC99j1jF24S5FORiduUN4A_rHOktmcjaTA8KEHCsHqI6UV2y5YdsnTyRxiMRlLPrTZxO8/s1899/2024%202-3%20ALP%20(8).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1455" data-original-width="1899" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zCgsGLD9npWN3T__D__Qwjx7NHf9bz9AWengSiMKwguUrR_AVT007cst2D1gVlUm76TycwdfAX1-IjbGDiCKk1uxbXKuh2p4dW3kB3It2RVj-_EEd6qxDkpC99j1jF24S5FORiduUN4A_rHOktmcjaTA8KEHCsHqI6UV2y5YdsnTyRxiMRlLPrTZxO8/w400-h306/2024%202-3%20ALP%20(8).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>If all goes according to plan, I'll have teeth within 10 days. Soon it'll be spring and I'll be a whole new person. </p><p>___________________________</p><p><br /></p><p>*Throughout my life I've spent endless hours in the hands of dentists, and in my poorer days, many not very hygenic. Most likely that's where I got the Herpes Simplex in the first place. As for the source of the Hep C, it had to have been from a blood transfusion I got 50 years ago before they screened for it. I'll never know for certain, but I never used drugs. Not ever, not once. Not marijuana or anything. I recall having a bad allergic reaction to the transfusion, but may not have been related, other than to show the blood hadn't been thoroughly tested.</p><p><br /></p><p>I had a friend who a mere twenty years ago had a blood transfusion after a car wreck and got HIV from the transfusion and died from it, so I'm very lucky.</p><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-83203362994526141072024-02-02T06:42:00.000-08:002024-02-02T10:14:07.800-08:00Crazy yesterday!<p>Too exhausted last night to blog, but here goes. I had Alpine doctor and Ft Stockton dentist appointments in the same day. The doctor was running late for my 8:30 AM appointment so I was crunched to get to my 12 PM appointment in Ft Stockton with the dentist. (My dentist appointment had originally been for 3 PM, but he had to move it up and skip his lunch due to an emergency in his family.) Turned out he was running late too, which is most unusual for him. He had squeezed too many people in before having to catch a plane flight. But I didn't know that, so ate my lunch while driving. Using the term "ate" to mean my diet of mush. Hadn't eaten anything before then since I expected the Dr. to check my blood sugar. Had a difficult experience at the Dr., with a nurse, which I'll spare you the painful details. The good news is my Dr. said it was alright for me to reduce the dosage on the Amlodipine as long as I monitored my BP and increased it if it went too high. This morning it's perfect, so good there.</p><p><br /></p><p>Early yesterday morning when I had tried to check my emails (lots of birders contacting me about oasis visits for upcoming spring migration), my computer wouldn't work. Just made an alarming beep. So on my way to Ft Stockton, I dropped it off at my grandson's work for him to fix. While driving to FS, he told me by phone that it was working fine. Dentist did final fittings for teeth, which I'll get as soon as the lab makes them, hopefully in two weeks. Good there.</p><p><br /></p><p>Back in Alpine I picked up my computer, rushed home to plug it in. Hurrying because if it didn't work and my grandson needed to come by, he could do it after he got off work, which is closer to my house than he lives. That gave me less than 30 minutes to see. I couldn't get it hooked up in place, had to pull it back toward me to see the connections. Hunching over hurt my back so I picked up my heavy computer, intending to sit in my desk chair as I did the hookups. As I sat back down into my chair, it rolled out from under me. I fell to the floor with the computer on top of me. I was lucky to end up with no more than a goose egg on my elbow.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQoH0IyeJ-mdrYM1sRypOQBd9IDyRnIDuQ8fl9kTUtEMJ69AEH_0Q49ozsHLRFuF4DquM2FmXlnSonTa1zMVQ-8O90roBlmsSHIuJyUQex4zHiTrhHIYmp1hY-RNXw1c4uDaZyV4NfdfIyckGwZEfZAdULnushUf_e4ga-XckKyHC9i4zxgHLj56ukzg/s1960/20240201_203458.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="1960" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQoH0IyeJ-mdrYM1sRypOQBd9IDyRnIDuQ8fl9kTUtEMJ69AEH_0Q49ozsHLRFuF4DquM2FmXlnSonTa1zMVQ-8O90roBlmsSHIuJyUQex4zHiTrhHIYmp1hY-RNXw1c4uDaZyV4NfdfIyckGwZEfZAdULnushUf_e4ga-XckKyHC9i4zxgHLj56ukzg/w400-h353/20240201_203458.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeNRPXRHMZGMv73IHJreS02FZUd3HclJ9UpFW-aSiRofYQ-6NIplGUOqik4M5cyHT7HxpL_NsJjNBz1Iu_SjScq3Hj9ORWz-Iru1d8erBNSBz9HDVo-RIcz04n-H9EspA-I75akSscEBAkpGxbLMUrfHw-BY5rVXvgUu8U_EPBxCPZ2OaG6DuDjccSik/s2008/20240201_203617.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1893" data-original-width="2008" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeNRPXRHMZGMv73IHJreS02FZUd3HclJ9UpFW-aSiRofYQ-6NIplGUOqik4M5cyHT7HxpL_NsJjNBz1Iu_SjScq3Hj9ORWz-Iru1d8erBNSBz9HDVo-RIcz04n-H9EspA-I75akSscEBAkpGxbLMUrfHw-BY5rVXvgUu8U_EPBxCPZ2OaG6DuDjccSik/w400-h378/20240201_203617.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>When I finally got the computer hooked up, it still didn't work. Too late to call my grandson, but my son Eric, not as expert on computers, came over. He couldn't figure it out, but it worked for him. After he left I noticed the H key was sticking. My grandson had told me if it didn't work, to hook one thing up at a time to isolate the problem, but I hadn't done that. Anyway, grandson came over with a new keyboard and all is well. No broken elbow. I feel great other than the sore in the back of my mouth. Dentist called it a "shiner."</p><p><br /></p><p>Also yesterday, my sister's book came out. I missed the ceremony, but when I got home she had left a copy for me at my house.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibB7_aYtCg822hAWG6OW3Es5irg1XX-536dspOJK28D2bwXYNT8X4oi32SLo3miJ7_IMs7hO8XiBYgs6RfJ4FU9yH5z_K2inW6ebPFNvzG-w3TVdA6dPK81hIOD3R1uMayt3-96AJvGNUWzs8PKeZluEJLbZZVhOQZm4kcwMSYHAvAqZmnrA1_U8y8Tj8/s2994/20240202_080348.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2994" data-original-width="2274" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibB7_aYtCg822hAWG6OW3Es5irg1XX-536dspOJK28D2bwXYNT8X4oi32SLo3miJ7_IMs7hO8XiBYgs6RfJ4FU9yH5z_K2inW6ebPFNvzG-w3TVdA6dPK81hIOD3R1uMayt3-96AJvGNUWzs8PKeZluEJLbZZVhOQZm4kcwMSYHAvAqZmnrA1_U8y8Tj8/w304-h400/20240202_080348.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br /><p>Andrea (Ann to me) had been an archeologist in New Hampshire when she moved next to me (near the oasis) on a piece of land that I had sold her. In between building her house she worked for the Center for Big Bend Studies as an archaeologist, starting in 1996, while finishing her degree in Anthropology at the University of New Hampshire.</p><p><br /></p><p>Most of her work was done at Middle Archaic sites throughout the region. She started her book in 2009 and finished it in 2014. It took 10 years before it finally got published. Long story there too, that I'll spare you. Basically, it's a comprehensive synthesis for researchers, a compilation of all that has been learned about the period of 3,000 to 4,500 YBP (years before present) in the Trans-Pecos region. It's not a book to read unless you're doing serious research on the subject. I will never read it. Here's an example of typical pages.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCLTmzrMA1kodXIucAU9yfS_xgiieX4qdQo2xno5DvxcYKdlJoH08T0xLBvArRSKrgZcRLvXkNZHdRjOa_WELJovVRbYSbB7yHRNYKSHbiGjWU4GnyuYb3hjLZ58AyI8dwAsqTOPc5gVFA1G3xhzOTtwMTBCKQk5UyPuHQs8You_ZothwEo588YBi37g/s3132/20240202_082126.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3132" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCLTmzrMA1kodXIucAU9yfS_xgiieX4qdQo2xno5DvxcYKdlJoH08T0xLBvArRSKrgZcRLvXkNZHdRjOa_WELJovVRbYSbB7yHRNYKSHbiGjWU4GnyuYb3hjLZ58AyI8dwAsqTOPc5gVFA1G3xhzOTtwMTBCKQk5UyPuHQs8You_ZothwEo588YBi37g/w400-h313/20240202_082126.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyQxU35cDkrHifrZZ6GS8SdgFDVD_c5oUIki8n3RbHlUzcIv7zx4roFOa_e08DkvYjcNzN765kFB_DTy3mBWZl95i315nVgkCvtxdVYWnDDiM23_xIqaWAZVZQdEJUUtrdD61aT01BPdY3hTFdrzwZ0ORVyovVK2AuJekJb9OrrvUU_nlyFl9wYt-5ks/s3072/20240202_082145.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2440" data-original-width="3072" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyQxU35cDkrHifrZZ6GS8SdgFDVD_c5oUIki8n3RbHlUzcIv7zx4roFOa_e08DkvYjcNzN765kFB_DTy3mBWZl95i315nVgkCvtxdVYWnDDiM23_xIqaWAZVZQdEJUUtrdD61aT01BPdY3hTFdrzwZ0ORVyovVK2AuJekJb9OrrvUU_nlyFl9wYt-5ks/w400-h318/20240202_082145.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueaJg1p5QcMbIcssHsrMEbkdgP14PY0bgGek3hGlEQesvGXJI-kcBcE-4_ZRSZittwQ9spUtCEHMhgEH6jDVTnqb8cmFjginnzBahrSTrC4LN_mgEswOYJ3hvnLYU9ueqvJE5veuUNL284HYreCWrV-Z2WcATBemlHMfXDg7JWeHhXAqeMPskgqgE-Jw/s3084/20240202_082205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3084" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueaJg1p5QcMbIcssHsrMEbkdgP14PY0bgGek3hGlEQesvGXJI-kcBcE-4_ZRSZittwQ9spUtCEHMhgEH6jDVTnqb8cmFjginnzBahrSTrC4LN_mgEswOYJ3hvnLYU9ueqvJE5veuUNL284HYreCWrV-Z2WcATBemlHMfXDg7JWeHhXAqeMPskgqgE-Jw/w400-h318/20240202_082205.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>My husband is on his 3rd day of a 4 day fishing trip to the Rio Grande River at Black Gap (adjacent to Big Bend National Park). He lives to fish and hadn't been fishing for 6 years, he claims. I don't think it's been that long. Maybe. I know it's been at least 3 years though. His bad fall a couple of years ago slowed him way down. He no longer can go alone, and couldn't find anyone to go with him before now.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-60537552614433233882024-01-29T17:48:00.000-08:002024-01-29T19:01:19.376-08:00Son to the rescue ... AGAIN!<p>Lee and I went to the oasis today to install the cup-trays onto the bear-proof ground feeder. I'm confident that now it's even more bearproof than it was! Love it!</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are the new trays after he made them.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggimVAYRyKQiGznoYIhIQ2HGchiaudSwFIRbzmHBQ9YoZ8VR7-Ac-MrMguTuRis7Qmxem6CXZiBnKlxiiTS3mvCpelrSGvZq-YAXdLCyIF5NdygLP-i29xeqvn82pjibD2aTnpwQ1NETv3ImuY3W2Pb1GYV9zETi85HqJdFygzwsB85vwPj9xkl_NICQg/s3198/2024%201-29%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3198" data-original-width="2016" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggimVAYRyKQiGznoYIhIQ2HGchiaudSwFIRbzmHBQ9YoZ8VR7-Ac-MrMguTuRis7Qmxem6CXZiBnKlxiiTS3mvCpelrSGvZq-YAXdLCyIF5NdygLP-i29xeqvn82pjibD2aTnpwQ1NETv3ImuY3W2Pb1GYV9zETi85HqJdFygzwsB85vwPj9xkl_NICQg/w404-h640/2024%201-29%20(1).jpg" width="404" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here he is in the process of welding them on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f7R4vg0RlfMo12WnuhmkQjOkgwYLPbAIED7kD6HWoFYwYXk62zNBTgsguEU5P7DXZjl6Qkes9MUDUPsTGEhrG6igcRBTaThyphenhyphenx9-LaG1EFAwzzC6bvG4GtAPUa64_DUb6YtAvsceZcUJd68r6LShTcMVhZpZYug-rNwd-9SB056WFnr-QpkCpJSOilVI/s4794/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(5).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3126" data-original-width="4794" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f7R4vg0RlfMo12WnuhmkQjOkgwYLPbAIED7kD6HWoFYwYXk62zNBTgsguEU5P7DXZjl6Qkes9MUDUPsTGEhrG6igcRBTaThyphenhyphenx9-LaG1EFAwzzC6bvG4GtAPUa64_DUb6YtAvsceZcUJd68r6LShTcMVhZpZYug-rNwd-9SB056WFnr-QpkCpJSOilVI/w400-h261/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(5).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmxWrPiokNESrquDXQhv17s5G99WxSo2o_xCzTdsrW9EULStUMQ_H1-3_Cuoh31gTFhVPbEp1mYwv1MCbLOcjbXhNqRqL6cltQZ6hAB2it_yVgdnFNjd7sx6LpKao_VKRUYLnLb0PN8xmWK7CrM6lyKpmxlYmTwMEyGCrla7C4e0msAXIaarPTU-NmYk/s3588/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(6).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2964" data-original-width="3588" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmxWrPiokNESrquDXQhv17s5G99WxSo2o_xCzTdsrW9EULStUMQ_H1-3_Cuoh31gTFhVPbEp1mYwv1MCbLOcjbXhNqRqL6cltQZ6hAB2it_yVgdnFNjd7sx6LpKao_VKRUYLnLb0PN8xmWK7CrM6lyKpmxlYmTwMEyGCrla7C4e0msAXIaarPTU-NmYk/w400-h330/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(6).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here's the finished product.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMogMh025U8qtEPmLbf5grW8TBKP5XCdwxHbeUwx51MbkA8XpdgOn_V-0JEHCPQ605DZo-EGx2Z3oC_bUU_kN7VQjloiUihfvGkcHGfKios5JQ9IogOSRW1-_EiFhyhwuoiV5aPTCwu15_7YghbfQ0i1rtKPWPjKoeErRefT6MrigWyt7pFaIa6YDG8kE/s5008/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(9).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5008" data-original-width="3488" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMogMh025U8qtEPmLbf5grW8TBKP5XCdwxHbeUwx51MbkA8XpdgOn_V-0JEHCPQ605DZo-EGx2Z3oC_bUU_kN7VQjloiUihfvGkcHGfKios5JQ9IogOSRW1-_EiFhyhwuoiV5aPTCwu15_7YghbfQ0i1rtKPWPjKoeErRefT6MrigWyt7pFaIa6YDG8kE/w446-h640/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(9).JPG" width="446" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>When we arrived early this morning the feeder was empty, so the birds were quite frantic during the welding. When we finally got the feeder reinstalled, and the paint touched up, birds swarmed in. Here are a few photos. (There are so many doves and White-crowned Sparrows that the seed hadn't lasted long enough.) We filled the tank with 80 lbs. of seed, and now with the efficient tray-cups below the ports, that should make an appreciable difference.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2ly4LXsL8oHTOpc-PLJdlL5LQDDntGlCWxfVBpAIoHDCLyNwLrG7r13rXnUlPvV8wkV5i06UefspH5u7obbmaPhkH3vQye2F6RxBY6Sem0JNmcvpVhxdRsmjkUmDVQA2pi8KzAbnJM2j24RajSnz1o2sOgJHs-1vpf4BBNytQuSWQV_B8zWlqP1m_hQ/s3726/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(11).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="3726" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2ly4LXsL8oHTOpc-PLJdlL5LQDDntGlCWxfVBpAIoHDCLyNwLrG7r13rXnUlPvV8wkV5i06UefspH5u7obbmaPhkH3vQye2F6RxBY6Sem0JNmcvpVhxdRsmjkUmDVQA2pi8KzAbnJM2j24RajSnz1o2sOgJHs-1vpf4BBNytQuSWQV_B8zWlqP1m_hQ/w400-h340/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(11).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiP4fyypgCExPhcsVj7eBI4P9zm3Jm8JErBRTuA9cjiEMNNdAQKGGaxD9hajFp2BOsGcyk7mt_xrGcweh2N0icXPKv04AaG7I7YVgnS7boBQaT9J5V4qN1GkOC13ElGaIE5GJuK1C9tReMPwx367vIbfcphvKtSNOPVpqJo6j7txeXdl3z3SdAPEpVFM/s4236/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(18).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3564" data-original-width="4236" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiP4fyypgCExPhcsVj7eBI4P9zm3Jm8JErBRTuA9cjiEMNNdAQKGGaxD9hajFp2BOsGcyk7mt_xrGcweh2N0icXPKv04AaG7I7YVgnS7boBQaT9J5V4qN1GkOC13ElGaIE5GJuK1C9tReMPwx367vIbfcphvKtSNOPVpqJo6j7txeXdl3z3SdAPEpVFM/w400-h336/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(18).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWcrc02fiSD1iAZ4Ykq1sd2Fy-ZtOvKsJ2WlJ6tspmg6gSKGnYz2qV0KE5w8CKmYqKmeHSGJmUaD_NRvFRd6Bn8g59vjiJ8BipBh8JRMmYxW5XdsMiiY-kzaj3XAJYvRtNFB7CFO1S0ch0L957YdPzN6bhdl1ThTMWA9Bbj2ATLnzYYq62qc8crPqwcg/s3126/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(20).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2676" data-original-width="3126" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWcrc02fiSD1iAZ4Ykq1sd2Fy-ZtOvKsJ2WlJ6tspmg6gSKGnYz2qV0KE5w8CKmYqKmeHSGJmUaD_NRvFRd6Bn8g59vjiJ8BipBh8JRMmYxW5XdsMiiY-kzaj3XAJYvRtNFB7CFO1S0ch0L957YdPzN6bhdl1ThTMWA9Bbj2ATLnzYYq62qc8crPqwcg/w400-h343/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(20).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTKxs_CNDUOsSriAZq6iWGTTAFu2eElUuK0BE-9kk-CHF9IVrdhq74FD3-vXjNDi13q1uEF-BNItfr-Ul6S4DWaqQveBZDzeUGMpAQR-00YVotLrzJZngXjJnL6LXfbWUPFCuDQj9Ms7sVu-Kqu4UFVxOBVBddsIH9P31rAKk0pHzIW4xA2ANTvvcxCA/s5472/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(25).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTKxs_CNDUOsSriAZq6iWGTTAFu2eElUuK0BE-9kk-CHF9IVrdhq74FD3-vXjNDi13q1uEF-BNItfr-Ul6S4DWaqQveBZDzeUGMpAQR-00YVotLrzJZngXjJnL6LXfbWUPFCuDQj9Ms7sVu-Kqu4UFVxOBVBddsIH9P31rAKk0pHzIW4xA2ANTvvcxCA/w400-h266/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(25).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMSsG-Czo17cf4jGQ0c0ZE2MWn-J6AwCCTN-Q7vlM3xAkCt9nxluwLXx3AgJRo3M1VgJerylA65hc-j-i59HVTf66lVNYxBUassVBjlWKpCT1ra9Z1C-W0LLHtzqbd0m_NiBAnNd2pTRVjc1zNBglLypv4frf_9-R4AbW_j7eRKFmOoizt80Gd3_3oVY/s4062/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(29).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2802" data-original-width="4062" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMSsG-Czo17cf4jGQ0c0ZE2MWn-J6AwCCTN-Q7vlM3xAkCt9nxluwLXx3AgJRo3M1VgJerylA65hc-j-i59HVTf66lVNYxBUassVBjlWKpCT1ra9Z1C-W0LLHtzqbd0m_NiBAnNd2pTRVjc1zNBglLypv4frf_9-R4AbW_j7eRKFmOoizt80Gd3_3oVY/w400-h276/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(29).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>As for the broken sprinkler, Lee fixed it. He thinks the breaks were caused by water inside freezing. From now on, we'll drain it after use during the winter. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsA9IAMJtzZIQtnCjzKGj8Lucke-JaCT2D5V6DPRwG4omlLK4bLIJjQsPphUxHY_78vVg3XYvMy_BL5JZjJp3tv-bR98Zo85adgDBvONHxnMjoSYA602Ymvv2JzQLcxt-WGabFCaP4ZIBDSfypPhQyNipmDUBZuD2otg34pbjUnQEfIU6zjjD_8uINlrk/s2764/2024%201-29%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="2764" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsA9IAMJtzZIQtnCjzKGj8Lucke-JaCT2D5V6DPRwG4omlLK4bLIJjQsPphUxHY_78vVg3XYvMy_BL5JZjJp3tv-bR98Zo85adgDBvONHxnMjoSYA602Ymvv2JzQLcxt-WGabFCaP4ZIBDSfypPhQyNipmDUBZuD2otg34pbjUnQEfIU6zjjD_8uINlrk/w400-h210/2024%201-29%20(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>A week ago the oasis got a nice soaking<b> .</b>3<b>"</b> of rain. It came at a good time because I had just spread the new mulch. The rain helped to settle it down, and now to keep the ground from drying out as fast.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eoYqJKjii2UkdEL_6FXPO1ZjcO7r6YzbPqmZyWz71FX1ywk-RyfDXfCPhLul7wnqXe-0hN6tOekkSnCOvffr4XQz3TZAJVu_HMmM1lwygBLfqOufRi-o9eUNK_frMATBFeV3Y8y66bHTyuQroGAbMq3y7ISqliQ5_ZpBFtgXPMC-XqG2rfcPRPe_4so/s5382/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(7).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2928" data-original-width="5382" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eoYqJKjii2UkdEL_6FXPO1ZjcO7r6YzbPqmZyWz71FX1ywk-RyfDXfCPhLul7wnqXe-0hN6tOekkSnCOvffr4XQz3TZAJVu_HMmM1lwygBLfqOufRi-o9eUNK_frMATBFeV3Y8y66bHTyuQroGAbMq3y7ISqliQ5_ZpBFtgXPMC-XqG2rfcPRPe_4so/w400-h217/2024%201-29%20CMO%20(7).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>As for my health update, I feel fine except for the sores in my mouth. Blood pressure wouldn't go down so my doctor started me on BP meds (Amlopidine), which is the same thing my sister, brother, and husband all take. I'm confident that will do the trick. My foot isn't hurting as bad, so hopefully, it'll be better soon. I'm thinking that climbing in and out of my husband's high pickup on the days I got the mulch and then went to the oasis with Lee to spread it, even though I tried to do it very carefully, may have stressed the navicular bone in my left foot. Although only the right one was previously broken (my conclusion), the left one hurt pretty bad too. So now that left one may have gotten re-stressed somehow. But I'm optimistic this year will be a good year.</div><div><br /></div>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-90426228515809141622024-01-27T20:35:00.000-08:002024-01-27T20:35:37.929-08:00A bleak week!<p>In a recent visit to the oasis I discovered something, surely a bear, had demolished my wonderful custom made (by Russ Rogers) water sprinkler. My son is going to rebuild it at some point.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ycHVBlgSYYc70uR_g5u6tV1ESFtefaEfBFjGMnDqkY2j0A1QZU2oLzKD9KPwaH-5PwFXtERrXxDuGv2pl9Ta6r6RLzmP64h5Jnv93sjgouvrtLJqS_50umki6-Y5F-s4qyeA6aniYiu9vuq3BDTT16Auzw3yh7_28wuOgcJgRd7Ct9tX9p9Kn1A6ofM/s3264/20240122_091203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ycHVBlgSYYc70uR_g5u6tV1ESFtefaEfBFjGMnDqkY2j0A1QZU2oLzKD9KPwaH-5PwFXtERrXxDuGv2pl9Ta6r6RLzmP64h5Jnv93sjgouvrtLJqS_50umki6-Y5F-s4qyeA6aniYiu9vuq3BDTT16Auzw3yh7_28wuOgcJgRd7Ct9tX9p9Kn1A6ofM/w480-h640/20240122_091203.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoZ-_SxscI1c3d827WHCmez1IBsgil_zydJ6iNGE5XNGShvbOqBAIek6MO9b9eZ7lR6VzVuMuQSVaiiyAFMKiVYKfWZRVxZkYik5WX92L221FLEelTtMzQsGnxxmtx3j7_6OuRHxtxqH8nwrTN5AqSc6Kc8Hg2cr1gU0PnKuytq1oBuaaKdoTNY_q0oA/s5472/2024%201-22%20CMO%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoZ-_SxscI1c3d827WHCmez1IBsgil_zydJ6iNGE5XNGShvbOqBAIek6MO9b9eZ7lR6VzVuMuQSVaiiyAFMKiVYKfWZRVxZkYik5WX92L221FLEelTtMzQsGnxxmtx3j7_6OuRHxtxqH8nwrTN5AqSc6Kc8Hg2cr1gU0PnKuytq1oBuaaKdoTNY_q0oA/w400-h266/2024%201-22%20CMO%20(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Right now he's working on welding cups to the bear-proof seed feeder ports. Birds are shoveling seed out onto the ground, plus bears can get some out of it. This improvement should save on seed and reduce on unwanted partakers of it. In the next blog I'll post photos of the process. (He's just making the cups now.) Everything is always a work in progress, it seems.</p><p><br /></p><p>I've been having a rough month between wintry weather and dental stuff. Surely, I'll get teeth next month. Meanwhile, my blood pressure is way too high. I attribute that to not eating apples. All my life I've eaten lots of apples and had low blood pressure until I was around 50. Thereafter, it's been normal until just recently. Now it's like 160 over 100. I'm forcing myself to put apples in the food processor and eating them, even though it makes them brown (think bruised) and yucky. I have a doctor's appointment scheduled for Thursday, Feb 1st. I'm sure I'll get put on BP meds. Also, yesterday I woke up with my foot hurting so bad that I can only limp around painfully. No idea why. (It's not the same foot I had a cracked navicular bone in last year.) No other symptoms. Maybe a pinched nerve in my back or somewhere.</p><p><br /></p><p>And I have painful sores in my mouth. Last Wednesday was another agonizing dentist visit, as all have been. He made impressions, but they don't just lift off the implants straight up, as the implants are slightly angled. He ended up having to drill through the mold into the implant abutments and unscrew them to get the casting off, only after I could no longer endure the pain. Really injured my mouth, which bled freely as I thought my jaw was being broken. But the dentist assured me it wasn't, and he was right. This too shall pass. At the moment, even eating my diet of mush is painful. So January isn't a great month. Just as well there are no good birds to see. I wouldn't be up to chasing them anyway.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here's a podcast that talks about birding the oasis last May. I'm really looking forward to spring migration. And teeth. And warm weather. It'll seem like a new lease on life! Time flies by, so it'll be soon!</p><p><br /></p><p>https://open.spotify.com/episode/0iCLdLwPbUd5w8YuhArKmX</p><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-17126916977298683262024-01-21T08:40:00.000-08:002024-01-21T16:22:09.694-08:00Spring is getting closer<p>Thanks to one of my wonderful blog followers who lives here in Alpine, my husband's big pickup is filled with pine mulch. Thanks Mike!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9umlWDLNjXnwgwTlpwWoNbSkFYGWALTN-rxy749MYr3k2qfH4odMKdGXsrZL9QaSkt_bKJh0nLS-1woEaNVIH1NEVn03VIUrqwTPQ2HBzQgtgD2GE-cGV9iRgGRrmEkYtZqibKYqcNYQ3TGHHPj82wJsEXZWnOfinu7r8c7YGimw59jIZAIfcYLKVZY/s5352/2024%201-21%20ALP.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3270" data-original-width="5352" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9umlWDLNjXnwgwTlpwWoNbSkFYGWALTN-rxy749MYr3k2qfH4odMKdGXsrZL9QaSkt_bKJh0nLS-1woEaNVIH1NEVn03VIUrqwTPQ2HBzQgtgD2GE-cGV9iRgGRrmEkYtZqibKYqcNYQ3TGHHPj82wJsEXZWnOfinu7r8c7YGimw59jIZAIfcYLKVZY/w400-h245/2024%201-21%20ALP.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY23aRLvmoFtFRJEw_8gpDDpxXVNwXvcKjFKhuows4jbkOpa72lMaW81feAuN9mNLB_sbbf35q6VfTOBMSQB1OW2B84mfQ_8Ds4b7ANhN2O2f3aveslM9wToU8unujTUMnS3vQ3mONqVgXmlRUxuInhgDpAFwolWyogENXPddaCSpDwQJYWrVPI-sCfbI/s3264/2024%201-21%20ALP%20(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY23aRLvmoFtFRJEw_8gpDDpxXVNwXvcKjFKhuows4jbkOpa72lMaW81feAuN9mNLB_sbbf35q6VfTOBMSQB1OW2B84mfQ_8Ds4b7ANhN2O2f3aveslM9wToU8unujTUMnS3vQ3mONqVgXmlRUxuInhgDpAFwolWyogENXPddaCSpDwQJYWrVPI-sCfbI/w400-h300/2024%201-21%20ALP%20(3).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p>Lee will take it to the oasis in a few days and unload it. Pine needles make such good mulch. They don't blow away like leaves do.</p><p><br /></p><p>My sister had a couple of mountain lions visit her water feature near the oasis two nights ago.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwHos0nSyjdRI6Ak1z7_DjDvnZtAW_x45eNlBBjzjfwXtRF40tnFy0FkN6KpvakFqO6e0zBbe14GS9aGUnJsA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-79754802053055329712024-01-13T17:02:00.000-08:002024-01-14T16:07:22.504-08:00Today at the oasis<p>Since today seemed like the weather might be the least bad day for a while (past and future), I went early to water and service feeders. I've been experimenting with a feeder heater. The terrible recent winds seem to have left what should have been a nearly full feeder empty, so today I put up a bigger, heavier feeder. If it's empty when I get there next time, I'll just abandon the project. Another problem I'm having with it is I can't hang it without tilting it, which causes the solution to gurgle. That makes it accessible to bees. Not being there to monitor it, I can't say for sure whether wind or bees or both were the problem, but I tried again. We'll see.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuW4hxtIWRUlxnMvID9_m5-TR_edL8VQh48hNvIIPwAkbRw2rO2QS5XAb0h_wplxPIBtEpKgJYgmbIsbQcDr0XdIPjjxtJT7XyGsA3qYsAzhor5oiM4YeTtH_s5192r69Llw5ofViAiUowEEcsFntoyMCTkfq3ItgoRNgInXOwCAak6M45ljZzCD3avp4/s4704/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(1).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4704" data-original-width="2920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuW4hxtIWRUlxnMvID9_m5-TR_edL8VQh48hNvIIPwAkbRw2rO2QS5XAb0h_wplxPIBtEpKgJYgmbIsbQcDr0XdIPjjxtJT7XyGsA3qYsAzhor5oiM4YeTtH_s5192r69Llw5ofViAiUowEEcsFntoyMCTkfq3ItgoRNgInXOwCAak6M45ljZzCD3avp4/w398-h640/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(1).JPG" width="398" /></a></div><br /><p>While I was watering I checked the water level in the reservoir of the water feature. Looking into the access hole, I saw at least two dead mice floating in the reservoir. When fishing them out with a stick didn't work, I crammed my hand through the opening, reached way down into the water and pulled the stinky slimy things out. YUCK! I have no idea how they got in there, but knowing mice, I shouldn't be surprised.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij33MOcMwOeZ2NSIU7OrdSLH-xRiUOnBjgmy0m0qRlMrHKcmlQg3C7Y69zM7P7jIQz55pmbyF8LhS3XAk1kf984t6QjntAph7anPP64ypJ9gNuShExYGCm_sKFbjHIpAoKEU6KRVD7UEj-MwS91Y5cyF3HITLLN9tUlKC6A3-IdAjcwOQPMWZTrWJPhIA/s2724/20240113_113659.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2724" data-original-width="2448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij33MOcMwOeZ2NSIU7OrdSLH-xRiUOnBjgmy0m0qRlMrHKcmlQg3C7Y69zM7P7jIQz55pmbyF8LhS3XAk1kf984t6QjntAph7anPP64ypJ9gNuShExYGCm_sKFbjHIpAoKEU6KRVD7UEj-MwS91Y5cyF3HITLLN9tUlKC6A3-IdAjcwOQPMWZTrWJPhIA/w360-h400/20240113_113659.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><p>Almost had a camera catastrophe today, too. I carry my binos and camera around while I water, but took them off from around my neck to get down on hands and knees while fishing for mice. Afterwards, when I went to put them back on (I have to do the binos first so I can use either rapidly if need be), I grabbed the binos from the viewing counter, but the dangling strap yanked the camera off the counter as I did it. Somehow, I managed to catch the camera mid-air without it hitting the ground. That would have been devastating. More so because I'm still stressing over my phone deciding to factory reset itself all out of the blue. Must be a glitch in some system, somewhere. Had to download all my apps, and still haven't gotten my email accounts to where I can check them online. Or ebird, and who knows what all else. It's a nightmare for me. If it happens again I'm going to get a new phone.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are a few photos from today. First is the small oak thicket beneath the biggest Live Oak tree. It's a little thicket that has attracted several rare warblers in the past (Worm-eating, Cerulean, Grace's, etc.). Well, no warblers at the oasis yet this year, but the thicket made a bunch of acorns this winter. I wonder what will find them this time of year.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBLzazT5jzxQ6Vl3lCvpuSUQ8ZDigtBSuNQ04xGioY_iLUmW7C9f17KEGC5Yo82_mA8Jf1nNTdAGddhF3YheAuJUvprAMhVAdrwg1ZUTpQgW52B8H_ZexQhbQUBQEPAezAXVCB1E7KZkTQc7WvH623lzDikQAO_Kgkqd_x7zRWsG2myKsUXCLPIBhYyQ/s4086/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(18).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3378" data-original-width="4086" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBLzazT5jzxQ6Vl3lCvpuSUQ8ZDigtBSuNQ04xGioY_iLUmW7C9f17KEGC5Yo82_mA8Jf1nNTdAGddhF3YheAuJUvprAMhVAdrwg1ZUTpQgW52B8H_ZexQhbQUBQEPAezAXVCB1E7KZkTQc7WvH623lzDikQAO_Kgkqd_x7zRWsG2myKsUXCLPIBhYyQ/w400-h331/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(18).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Next is a weird thing I saw happen. As a <b>Hermit Thrush</b> seemed to be posing for me, I rapidly shot photos of it, always hoping for a good sharp one. All within a moment in time, it regurgitated a berry (probably mistletoe) and swallowed it again. Here's the action I caught. Didn't get the split-second regurgitation. Never saw anything like that before! (Photos are in chronological order, seconds apart.)</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKG8eEu1lYMOgycNGy8SHdIlHFOBkEIgiz1NdFAgANvzTRI7BpSxBLdq7dxtuGNF7QBqfGfQyceHxZmSiw7puVMqPgkW4mOgQdtEUI3TegZuyYFuMNnqglPhNVYVH8oTfbXgxLhU6mmCM8Sj9armmscDrwPWH8dxD_GCcQpf1AuNAdvrmL9hRKMluWYtI/s2502/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(12).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2394" data-original-width="2502" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKG8eEu1lYMOgycNGy8SHdIlHFOBkEIgiz1NdFAgANvzTRI7BpSxBLdq7dxtuGNF7QBqfGfQyceHxZmSiw7puVMqPgkW4mOgQdtEUI3TegZuyYFuMNnqglPhNVYVH8oTfbXgxLhU6mmCM8Sj9armmscDrwPWH8dxD_GCcQpf1AuNAdvrmL9hRKMluWYtI/w400-h383/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(12).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE60gyVo0rHS74b4iFbvp-WeP2iDosDAT-U0Np2OFF_oGpodpUV5BmFzsxx4XaAgr3yPSEW_R4zobOUJxVxhpnA54yEFA-r84KzxpvGA6Aa9T6GpOVuzlXi-aVzh448TKnJaaomH1kANjnHHX8xMzzsXrVscxeTIB7UAO8-1BTQxKYEhpmD3M1k4wyg94/s2400/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(13).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2328" data-original-width="2400" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE60gyVo0rHS74b4iFbvp-WeP2iDosDAT-U0Np2OFF_oGpodpUV5BmFzsxx4XaAgr3yPSEW_R4zobOUJxVxhpnA54yEFA-r84KzxpvGA6Aa9T6GpOVuzlXi-aVzh448TKnJaaomH1kANjnHHX8xMzzsXrVscxeTIB7UAO8-1BTQxKYEhpmD3M1k4wyg94/w400-h388/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(13).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32zbpAOCHtNnVR4le5bvqZ1yUsBIzDwTLlP9GGU023eFy64aJ8e14Lh-rQNPGTQUYAMNdUrW329bK55WxchVwNHTTN2NQwxNI2sjfMTj0CC3S_sr2p_VC0z9ZIC0QMwmShcw5m10xZ6UOfKy77Beiy6CRC-xy3Tnc_nXQ3HlY-9a5A1g_GYfljEre6gQ/s2508/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(14).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="2508" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32zbpAOCHtNnVR4le5bvqZ1yUsBIzDwTLlP9GGU023eFy64aJ8e14Lh-rQNPGTQUYAMNdUrW329bK55WxchVwNHTTN2NQwxNI2sjfMTj0CC3S_sr2p_VC0z9ZIC0QMwmShcw5m10xZ6UOfKy77Beiy6CRC-xy3Tnc_nXQ3HlY-9a5A1g_GYfljEre6gQ/w400-h341/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(14).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Several <b>Ruby-crowned Kinglets</b> must have been having territorial disputes. At least one had its red crown showing every time I looked.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGJ-2SzSStuKqbrlBWzVDP0NdUH002JRxaUdgkjN2mzZBd9GBl5ytmYJBnrvxTh8kigjAv7PF-udtPpsiY1hAuoKYT-a5Bb9Z9hjrc-NfkdbYCV1F1sfhA_6bHDvflofiN976SbYPcr9q7kB6pxc88fRnMjxZCoCy_FWOlIUIgE9JwnOiNkZgrUdfFnY/s2436/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(10).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="2436" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGJ-2SzSStuKqbrlBWzVDP0NdUH002JRxaUdgkjN2mzZBd9GBl5ytmYJBnrvxTh8kigjAv7PF-udtPpsiY1hAuoKYT-a5Bb9Z9hjrc-NfkdbYCV1F1sfhA_6bHDvflofiN976SbYPcr9q7kB6pxc88fRnMjxZCoCy_FWOlIUIgE9JwnOiNkZgrUdfFnY/w400-h339/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(10).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The potential hybrid <b>Anna's x Costa's Hummingbird</b> is still present, but I imagine it won't be for long.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ymavp2zqtwoKPUNKRzg8jrzEIj33O9BfjETqzQq2LZKUYy5vzmqFh-sSfJmmQLH9aiDX3mBnof4QUsQauN5nrUnEzQ048mcC6ATeximydBP_jttplZe4XxhL8pwpON9wcBvgTed4iXMCgCUpjkTkvFaDjnsgeTMYNJMCc5EY12_wBzv9yJqiBlfvp0Q/s2808/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(16).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1854" data-original-width="2808" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ymavp2zqtwoKPUNKRzg8jrzEIj33O9BfjETqzQq2LZKUYy5vzmqFh-sSfJmmQLH9aiDX3mBnof4QUsQauN5nrUnEzQ048mcC6ATeximydBP_jttplZe4XxhL8pwpON9wcBvgTed4iXMCgCUpjkTkvFaDjnsgeTMYNJMCc5EY12_wBzv9yJqiBlfvp0Q/w400-h264/2024%201-13%20CMO%20(16).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I got back to town before dark, exhausted.</p><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-63551283130991878182024-01-05T07:23:00.000-08:002024-01-05T07:32:49.911-08:00Crazy January<p>Never would've thought dalea would be blooming in January at the oasis. This photo by my son.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFYrzl5zruVCWY7hhA4gGm_CiAXfXjO1czk-Jfe065S4VqqP9qoOGm4hqQQilAphxk9QMDCC4u1WUvXHg0GulBezkAPWOjsFqAj1ntcWhs9W8tCTg1lzX_G4hlyDLt-PYORHjnXizVCAgMHZozkoxS5OLwbtHeadWW9Whog00oJsRaeZ-T4e4KE4iBe8/s1600/2024%201-4%20CMO%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1553" data-original-width="1600" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFYrzl5zruVCWY7hhA4gGm_CiAXfXjO1czk-Jfe065S4VqqP9qoOGm4hqQQilAphxk9QMDCC4u1WUvXHg0GulBezkAPWOjsFqAj1ntcWhs9W8tCTg1lzX_G4hlyDLt-PYORHjnXizVCAgMHZozkoxS5OLwbtHeadWW9Whog00oJsRaeZ-T4e4KE4iBe8/w400-h389/2024%201-4%20CMO%20(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wright's Dalea (Dalea wrightii)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Not to mention all the other great flowers my niece has been photographing lately, such as this <b>Yellow Trumpetflower </b>(<i>Tecoma stans</i>), bleached around the edges, from frost perhaps.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmf2EH-dUqqhkB1wXa4ETiPoqBvpWT7Jsal_oidXySQ3Zupk0kc4r2Gn6TCvf5Kl7rbN9cMBZ90SLHQlfLjIuLW_PovJr0CGWptWzXmkOmKuzGnWw7etfJjSGI_0aD3X0f3TEjDByK6eZ8HnYKYu72xy_AUl1Qz1d1A1R4IhkJU3ybtsqSJiRIn1ichC8/s2048/416359326_6984267731609708_4108642204962520976_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmf2EH-dUqqhkB1wXa4ETiPoqBvpWT7Jsal_oidXySQ3Zupk0kc4r2Gn6TCvf5Kl7rbN9cMBZ90SLHQlfLjIuLW_PovJr0CGWptWzXmkOmKuzGnWw7etfJjSGI_0aD3X0f3TEjDByK6eZ8HnYKYu72xy_AUl1Qz1d1A1R4IhkJU3ybtsqSJiRIn1ichC8/w480-h640/416359326_6984267731609708_4108642204962520976_n.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div><p> And yesterday she photographed a <b><i>spring</i></b> form of <b>Checkered White</b> butterfly. Days are getting longer.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJqsIelVPz-KruJ501hbsFHvDLJZXLdw55igq9gUTt9cC6v0xwaphpzJRgiuP5wuNpN7cjtQyhpLYfxMkIsuvLl8YQrNFjJ1wHEU35K0X4Osh2XezXUsDph-AgjFKt9qFCCP5XyozYcljX81yUBXQNmQX7sDIH2hWoIec-S3wgeoMvdTo2JygvKmH_G0/s1650/2024%201-4%20CMO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJqsIelVPz-KruJ501hbsFHvDLJZXLdw55igq9gUTt9cC6v0xwaphpzJRgiuP5wuNpN7cjtQyhpLYfxMkIsuvLl8YQrNFjJ1wHEU35K0X4Osh2XezXUsDph-AgjFKt9qFCCP5XyozYcljX81yUBXQNmQX7sDIH2hWoIec-S3wgeoMvdTo2JygvKmH_G0/w364-h400/2024%201-4%20CMO.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>In Alpine I saw the juvenile <b>Allen's Hummingbird </b>again yesterday after not having seen it since mid-December. (First seen mid-November) </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWCbVDdkdJ7dHSRTMd67nfWYZyJz2dpRre2D0ecV04OufCUHsaEsASq28l80V92hZk1ruHTyljeL0y-jN0J_ZFwFUu-OKQ3NRRvpHoj1UgBozCKFmQTUOECq3mc_rNRspOZpuM4AgLdIgmsVGgb4ZlxpOhbQU2BPcM5WyRY_UXhmTtd6Xby-zutxeclQ/s3284/2024%201-4%20ALP%20(1).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3284" data-original-width="2616" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWCbVDdkdJ7dHSRTMd67nfWYZyJz2dpRre2D0ecV04OufCUHsaEsASq28l80V92hZk1ruHTyljeL0y-jN0J_ZFwFUu-OKQ3NRRvpHoj1UgBozCKFmQTUOECq3mc_rNRspOZpuM4AgLdIgmsVGgb4ZlxpOhbQU2BPcM5WyRY_UXhmTtd6Xby-zutxeclQ/w510-h640/2024%201-4%20ALP%20(1).JPG" width="510" /></a></div><br /><p>Sure never know what to expect in this part of the country!</p><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-69257915801099409132024-01-01T18:57:00.000-08:002024-01-03T11:22:33.020-08:00Exciting new oasis flower species<p>My indefatigable sister and niece constantly seek out blooms on our properties. New Year's Eve this energetic and knowledgeable niece discovered a Spearleaf (<i>Matelea parvifolia</i>) blooming. Who would have thought it would bloom so late in the year!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDofI_qGuC4y1Rf0nW3-0PcSnGxVX7G_qZ1sMu0C4F_QV2edgPTpmfD8_90_U8URtaIHzv_MIi2W5Oy_5UwwVvOGPDU0MoJPKYjvuyEjnPUzd_hvV8RwpFeg6lMLslxGEtH_wYtSog72ikNmy41k2rjuPiYUivbsPyXCbtDjfekuLqwR5JfG-y1u0ZBk/s2000/2023%2012-31%20Matelea%20parviflora%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDofI_qGuC4y1Rf0nW3-0PcSnGxVX7G_qZ1sMu0C4F_QV2edgPTpmfD8_90_U8URtaIHzv_MIi2W5Oy_5UwwVvOGPDU0MoJPKYjvuyEjnPUzd_hvV8RwpFeg6lMLslxGEtH_wYtSog72ikNmy41k2rjuPiYUivbsPyXCbtDjfekuLqwR5JfG-y1u0ZBk/w480-h640/2023%2012-31%20Matelea%20parviflora%20.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Also, a hummingbird expert, Sheri Williamson, suggested that the possible hybrid Costa's that's been at the oasis for at least six weeks might be an offspring of a hybrid. Quote:</p><p><br /></p><p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;">"Though I don't put much stock in wing/tail ratios, her pale cheeks, thinnish bill, and slightly more concave lower gorget margin all look "off" for a 100% Anna's. Comparing her greater secondary coverts to photos </span><a style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" tabindex="-1"></a><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;">of Anna's, Costa's, and hybrids, they're subtly narrower and more rounded but still closer in shape to Anna's, possibly indicating that her parents were a hybrid and an Anna's."</span></p><p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></p><p>Fascinating stuff. I wish they would take DNA from it before it's too late. Here's my photo of it taken on Dec. 23rd.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBR1kagALvpzbEo1r7WntXPMawvYkIIg4OKC89_2HmCtsKev0bVHJItR_iMypH8oIDrJtidJcNu4R9YeeaCDzHEcTXsHWvUU_A4FQZXoHOS28qgXV9JzVdU1WajfyFJBmHxiGqIAvPa2DfQsT48iXDRg-Seq7AMVJHt1H1_Aao6mbvH8V83m5ml6UQoQ/s2460/2023%2012-23%20CMO%20(11).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="2460" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBR1kagALvpzbEo1r7WntXPMawvYkIIg4OKC89_2HmCtsKev0bVHJItR_iMypH8oIDrJtidJcNu4R9YeeaCDzHEcTXsHWvUU_A4FQZXoHOS28qgXV9JzVdU1WajfyFJBmHxiGqIAvPa2DfQsT48iXDRg-Seq7AMVJHt1H1_Aao6mbvH8V83m5ml6UQoQ/w400-h335/2023%2012-23%20CMO%20(11).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Today, I saw it again and this time clearly saw a bright red throat patch. </p><p><br /></p><p>Also today I walked with the girls to see the Spearleaf. It's a teensy plant with microscopic blooms. It's incredible that my niece even spotted it.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEyEKOF08qmC-0t3ykq4woIEjJkc3Bkx-pNqiJff8NagUO5yf0sYGKPLU9uBk44R0m4KsFM1rejRBeJLsGFietWzwO6mIcPNlsKna5KlzBOoYeqdTc9G6l4EUpAr_t91XjYKlWYj2RwaYSat6Qbf-cUcI83OJsyU4nKzsRrwA39BRKHCi13-5vPBz1D0/s1444/2024%201-1%20CMO%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1444" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEyEKOF08qmC-0t3ykq4woIEjJkc3Bkx-pNqiJff8NagUO5yf0sYGKPLU9uBk44R0m4KsFM1rejRBeJLsGFietWzwO6mIcPNlsKna5KlzBOoYeqdTc9G6l4EUpAr_t91XjYKlWYj2RwaYSat6Qbf-cUcI83OJsyU4nKzsRrwA39BRKHCi13-5vPBz1D0/w400-h201/2024%201-1%20CMO%20(3).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucN7Yp4j5L6ekyed1zshEwpeiA18uQru8Qzj5YpuqhgWHPqJmPICfRqs1zLoZV1QLen5HxRAmaHdp6It8FB9LmX_cLc9QU9NXKvqC-RmuthyphenhyphenwyhnSliDREHKW0-u5zUnHaCwX2W7kPS-ECff08L8Vspfcj2gQ_PARXhTq6bS1m4UMXCltOXFquDunYzE/s1314/2024%201-1%20CMO%20(4).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1314" data-original-width="893" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucN7Yp4j5L6ekyed1zshEwpeiA18uQru8Qzj5YpuqhgWHPqJmPICfRqs1zLoZV1QLen5HxRAmaHdp6It8FB9LmX_cLc9QU9NXKvqC-RmuthyphenhyphenwyhnSliDREHKW0-u5zUnHaCwX2W7kPS-ECff08L8Vspfcj2gQ_PARXhTq6bS1m4UMXCltOXFquDunYzE/w434-h640/2024%201-1%20CMO%20(4).jpg" width="434" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-26936905953438316732023-12-29T19:27:00.000-08:002023-12-30T06:26:16.961-08:002023 in review<p>This<b> January</b> was not as bleak as most Januarys. The bright spots were that the Covid I got was mild, and birding was the best January ever. I visited the over-wintering Lewis's Woodpecker at Kokernot Park frequently, and sometimes helped other birders locate it.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNaB_pSqo-O-itYNd3ffnx0cQpZxtw-Pd65GpUEmu9Epcfh1-NZUTVyK8FP-KyQlWC2gdVvkAQusT8bb5W22FvAo1E1QCqyvMFq_Mh2wTWP7QjB4dt43f_Jpr40_zfuudEuzf9lo2a6H9uF3IpVQYiw02NlyYO25Gg6ZY60gdM-5P8ewFzosc5i5N/s1130/2023%201-10%20ALP%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="1064" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNaB_pSqo-O-itYNd3ffnx0cQpZxtw-Pd65GpUEmu9Epcfh1-NZUTVyK8FP-KyQlWC2gdVvkAQusT8bb5W22FvAo1E1QCqyvMFq_Mh2wTWP7QjB4dt43f_Jpr40_zfuudEuzf9lo2a6H9uF3IpVQYiw02NlyYO25Gg6ZY60gdM-5P8ewFzosc5i5N/w376-h400/2023%201-10%20ALP%20(3).JPG" width="376" /></a></div><br /><p>Having my new water feature in Alpine was a huge help too. It was very popular with birds. And it was great having my son build a new bear-proof feeder for the oasis. Gave me so much to look forward to.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNMEtTW5q7FkRE8d13DYMR4fBqEi4JPgz1eEDL4QLZahgUqiULYw1r2AsBiCdJr0An5ANnboQX5IplQGW54HbWHl5x5qyDxqYhEUsK9tYpJKSJ01KLoNPPIJDkGVGT4reGS_vBtd3fPcUJOFsjDKsZz-Jky4ksMhVnHlrhU1pyBUXTYX4x3vmjenR/s3222/2023%201-25%20ALP%20(6).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3222" data-original-width="3216" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNMEtTW5q7FkRE8d13DYMR4fBqEi4JPgz1eEDL4QLZahgUqiULYw1r2AsBiCdJr0An5ANnboQX5IplQGW54HbWHl5x5qyDxqYhEUsK9tYpJKSJ01KLoNPPIJDkGVGT4reGS_vBtd3fPcUJOFsjDKsZz-Jky4ksMhVnHlrhU1pyBUXTYX4x3vmjenR/w399-h400/2023%201-25%20ALP%20(6).JPG" width="399" /></a></div><br /><p><b>February </b>went by pretty fast. Spent time caring for my husband, who had hernia surgery. Birding was still good around the area. Highlights for me were Red Crossbills and Cassin's Finches at my new Alpine bird bath.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTLDQ6viMEMkr2jhpQ0UN449d84AccQLwkrEEE3fHZ3uzkucthSExi6TE3mqxE6VEC4Vg8pJDrt66-3-ek0wJB8cXW48XvbtcbPLYTaHWZrP3ZLtWZGYZhXGuEu9O-y_VRBQctSpMbriAIn1kKQwaW6l7fwnT_IXFmD-03Fmfmi0TwLjQZl63iwta/s2142/2023%202-16%20ALP%20(16).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1878" data-original-width="2142" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTLDQ6viMEMkr2jhpQ0UN449d84AccQLwkrEEE3fHZ3uzkucthSExi6TE3mqxE6VEC4Vg8pJDrt66-3-ek0wJB8cXW48XvbtcbPLYTaHWZrP3ZLtWZGYZhXGuEu9O-y_VRBQctSpMbriAIn1kKQwaW6l7fwnT_IXFmD-03Fmfmi0TwLjQZl63iwta/w400-h351/2023%202-16%20ALP%20(16).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0mki29dNm5gPVLxMerc3QVBdU2hXuC2Dod2FUhW6XS5iED2AcwExwZ_U--YjS8CSMhlFR4dhlePS2iuzyZCo5h5XwNrNn_NyF9yBFZkHdWmhpMBgTqn3qWN67fItbpZT8Zr2_4NRx2Xigz-a27hCUtI-R4hjUUdGxpZzIuLvpuD7Cd1nPTUTQNbZ/s4230/2023%204-5%20ALP%20(19).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3084" data-original-width="4230" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0mki29dNm5gPVLxMerc3QVBdU2hXuC2Dod2FUhW6XS5iED2AcwExwZ_U--YjS8CSMhlFR4dhlePS2iuzyZCo5h5XwNrNn_NyF9yBFZkHdWmhpMBgTqn3qWN67fItbpZT8Zr2_4NRx2Xigz-a27hCUtI-R4hjUUdGxpZzIuLvpuD7Cd1nPTUTQNbZ/w400-h291/2023%204-5%20ALP%20(19).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Everything was blooming and leafing out earlier than usual in<b> March</b>. But, per usual, was zapped by freezes. It seemed the wintering birds hung around longer, including the crossbills and finches, which were still visiting the birdbath into April.</div><div><br /></div><div>In early <b>April</b> a bear visited the oasis, but thankfully not too much damage. Chewing up about $100 worth of new hoses that I had to replace, and apparently accessing seed in the new bear-proof feeder, was about it. I now keep my hoses put up in a bear-proof building when not using them. We've no choice but to learn to live with bears.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bFD8GVV6gnFGuWJZA5JHkn-tSiBrumi_zIKzwTbyJ3-dGHT0SHerF8uI0DTKXmHJPDldjwP71JfN0CA77Dw86JE3zIqNHznhHtLUQPjMQpxeGxIiRbbKvkJE56GWuMIZlYDUtN8t9iCZQmtKnhMn3KBV1kXtgAsG_sYc4YOUxQXvLa08mn9j4dGE/s2664/2023%204-20%20CMO%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2664" data-original-width="2400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bFD8GVV6gnFGuWJZA5JHkn-tSiBrumi_zIKzwTbyJ3-dGHT0SHerF8uI0DTKXmHJPDldjwP71JfN0CA77Dw86JE3zIqNHznhHtLUQPjMQpxeGxIiRbbKvkJE56GWuMIZlYDUtN8t9iCZQmtKnhMn3KBV1kXtgAsG_sYc4YOUxQXvLa08mn9j4dGE/w360-h400/2023%204-20%20CMO%20(2).JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div>Late April was insane with birds and birders. The best bird was a Cape May Warbler. At the time I photographed it, I assumed it was a Yellow-rumped. Didn't figure it out until I downloaded the pictures onto my computer.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1T02qBDtqe72o9Z-8lYa7Ei6pie0TnsCcISGpLBcdKCs3P59A3oSiYejCBH-1LQ9rH3tJZEUjgWL56M3vBriAl0KqjSV__xrh8wXvSkxVAPddpyBxWjBhMO00rr7hvOSGZg2j0AT-0rfYSw1J-annvsQLhvaypLSIqaEDPi_4MZXS0TtRNRe087x/s3960/2023%204-27%20CMO.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2970" data-original-width="3960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1T02qBDtqe72o9Z-8lYa7Ei6pie0TnsCcISGpLBcdKCs3P59A3oSiYejCBH-1LQ9rH3tJZEUjgWL56M3vBriAl0KqjSV__xrh8wXvSkxVAPddpyBxWjBhMO00rr7hvOSGZg2j0AT-0rfYSw1J-annvsQLhvaypLSIqaEDPi_4MZXS0TtRNRe087x/w400-h300/2023%204-27%20CMO.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The most hectic day was April 27th, when I had three large groups visit. I had scheduled the morning group, and way previously, I had told a local guide that brings groups to the oasis that afternoons were always open. So that morning, when a new group wanted to come by in the afternoon at the last minute, which almost never happens, I didn't see anything on my calendar and told them to come. At the same time they came, the local tour guide showed up with a group. No one's fault, other than mine. And no harm done, but I like visitors to have a good remote area experience when they visit. As it was, the groups rotated between the viewing areas, taking turns watching for the Cape May Warbler at the back water drip. That was better than not having a chance to visit the oasis at all, of course. It helps that birders are always so fun and upbeat! And they all got to see the warbler eventually. But while they all took it in good stride, it stood out as the most stressful day of migration for me. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXcyiep-BKcqqtHHXGpyx-EDppt_vt9mB1X-ea48_oa_9HZwOGK7FQIiz17zAufAArQqHaiqdCxGcpfmQSzqp6hJr92pTsNNLNEHhKsnOYvsUPJVgtTq9UmfwSz498ff5Z0U2W6DhbtuDFNXuWhfcZvTpvxh6Vb2JgvBtV3xqTajHWz2bMocts4xP/s3080/2023%204-27%20CMO%20(19).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2416" data-original-width="3080" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXcyiep-BKcqqtHHXGpyx-EDppt_vt9mB1X-ea48_oa_9HZwOGK7FQIiz17zAufAArQqHaiqdCxGcpfmQSzqp6hJr92pTsNNLNEHhKsnOYvsUPJVgtTq9UmfwSz498ff5Z0U2W6DhbtuDFNXuWhfcZvTpvxh6Vb2JgvBtV3xqTajHWz2bMocts4xP/w400-h314/2023%204-27%20CMO%20(19).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>By the time of the Big Sit on April 28th, the prized warbler was gone. We still got more species for a Big Sit than we had ever before. We won with 58 species, which was twice what the competing teams had!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyD45U1IA_XKIXaixT7DDZQUbcTuiiZ-4JGWRuApziUW0HxkPXxi5ymxxv5J0d2KaRORQo3F-ClrHJMKBYTX8LAlcnhYN_wIkJ5kvmh7n7tPu2bK77BgozXaZ_1OuOyTk6sUVVAFsjq-MpplPgu6CCGON33BRRUPCEUw-UKdQcXuNtj3g_k3y2K9cB/s847/2023%204-28%20Big%20Sit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="847" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyD45U1IA_XKIXaixT7DDZQUbcTuiiZ-4JGWRuApziUW0HxkPXxi5ymxxv5J0d2KaRORQo3F-ClrHJMKBYTX8LAlcnhYN_wIkJ5kvmh7n7tPu2bK77BgozXaZ_1OuOyTk6sUVVAFsjq-MpplPgu6CCGON33BRRUPCEUw-UKdQcXuNtj3g_k3y2K9cB/w400-h351/2023%204-28%20Big%20Sit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Spring migration is always a two week affair, the last week of April and the first week of May. As <b>May</b> got underway, things leveled off, and birding wasn't as good. The best bird that first week was a Blue-winged Warbler. I never did get decent photos of it, as it was just present for a few minute, but here's one a lucky birder snapped.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixySYDcvG2yy7b-tpfdYwPG395Oir9AIZoK9LVBggyY8m3hiwpwviBfHN4QNSLCuq57yNMtLsopwpSOWZFzIPDe8MJ-aP0RIVkTXlrUEL3LE9gFHF7-V8ko4cetm-sdQVs0D9K0iYiJkkHnQ-fsoTWfuqg5XRq5F6tslKXvAmYLgt_aC3UqmiJFJe5-lg/s496/2023%205-3%20CMO%20by%20Matt%20Radford.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="496" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixySYDcvG2yy7b-tpfdYwPG395Oir9AIZoK9LVBggyY8m3hiwpwviBfHN4QNSLCuq57yNMtLsopwpSOWZFzIPDe8MJ-aP0RIVkTXlrUEL3LE9gFHF7-V8ko4cetm-sdQVs0D9K0iYiJkkHnQ-fsoTWfuqg5XRq5F6tslKXvAmYLgt_aC3UqmiJFJe5-lg/w400-h361/2023%205-3%20CMO%20by%20Matt%20Radford.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Matt Radford</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We got an early monsoon in late May that filled the tanks. I probably weakened my immune system by rushing around pumping, pruning, and getting the oasis back under control. At any rate, I came down with some kind of viral infection. My main symptoms were a bad sore throat and cough. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A week into <b>June,</b> I managed to get a life bird in the Davis Mountains, the aptly named Thick-billed Kingbird. That was fun! Even though I had taken every precaution, the virus resurfaced, but wasn't as bad as the first bout. Soon I was back to normal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpSB3mYU1tGrqUZ2e2sLsvrvO3eKSzllPwFT31idukpkXhHaeVsx53tVSAcU4Az4GHq6YnECYyO0LVXNxtoFVG1oLzmZhjr0XC1UGc-Sv2s0PiZGsZ1CHga5hCJOrfAQ8eNTQfMixi05fB6hXY7Wfzq9q0HYc-zwcchYqJcdSgE7y-M5mI5CrOY8H/s1920/2023%206-7%20DMP%20(9).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1584" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpSB3mYU1tGrqUZ2e2sLsvrvO3eKSzllPwFT31idukpkXhHaeVsx53tVSAcU4Az4GHq6YnECYyO0LVXNxtoFVG1oLzmZhjr0XC1UGc-Sv2s0PiZGsZ1CHga5hCJOrfAQ8eNTQfMixi05fB6hXY7Wfzq9q0HYc-zwcchYqJcdSgE7y-M5mI5CrOY8H/w330-h400/2023%206-7%20DMP%20(9).JPG" width="330" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That same day, a bear tried to get to the hanging feeder at the oasis. It appears he spent a couple of hours attempting to figure it out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQm0w1kM0064b7oDvBoWomBkGCLabbPkOno-wstV9HNRpyrcvn0_tUiNozqP9d1pQKohUvmysdd9ZzTuyNNiAOQrdK5lf5Ia_zPf8iFej9QrprbeFJ1zbHicBwlsjejSQ_H7ADVCpdQAl4x8ZzlE6Wy4-ZI8ad0U83UMXdVjnLTFA2pGhpVb77KYQ/s934/bear.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="934" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQm0w1kM0064b7oDvBoWomBkGCLabbPkOno-wstV9HNRpyrcvn0_tUiNozqP9d1pQKohUvmysdd9ZzTuyNNiAOQrdK5lf5Ia_zPf8iFej9QrprbeFJ1zbHicBwlsjejSQ_H7ADVCpdQAl4x8ZzlE6Wy4-ZI8ad0U83UMXdVjnLTFA2pGhpVb77KYQ/w400-h301/bear.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While May was cool and rainy (over 3 inches for the month), most of June was exceptionally hot and rainless, setting new heat records worldwide.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also in June, I developed serious dental issues. Had to have three implants removed, depriving me of the ability to chew for the rest of the year and into the next. The bone needed to heal before new implants could be put in, and then the new implants need to heal before being made functional. I'm told the original implants weren't done properly and it was nothing I did wrong. Small consolation, however, not to mention very expensive and painful!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9v2KKyw3vR0O9nkbEJ7CBQ9a6tG4S897AVbajY73aamrGOoLJBAuJfSASQIwgtlYkgCfhY-3K-yN8IYnRe3lGuHIE42Cx40Pnr_a3RhYiQhyrgUw328xjRrwigFDpYLNeU60wxkOFhDv44EB5YZcoz0-HweLrutElg5NMK10U_nPYJZDnrQpRKXzbcnY/s4000/2023%206-24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9v2KKyw3vR0O9nkbEJ7CBQ9a6tG4S897AVbajY73aamrGOoLJBAuJfSASQIwgtlYkgCfhY-3K-yN8IYnRe3lGuHIE42Cx40Pnr_a3RhYiQhyrgUw328xjRrwigFDpYLNeU60wxkOFhDv44EB5YZcoz0-HweLrutElg5NMK10U_nPYJZDnrQpRKXzbcnY/w400-h300/2023%206-24.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The record heat continued into <b>July</b>. With water still in the ponds, some nice dragonflies showed up, including this new oasis species, Flag-tailed Spinyleg.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCskFpGBg8vhJ519YIPHwk0mzWC07nc9zQflsCN7-msFXDcnMFWPgHAi-ZOdXEVNaNtbpVqxyjXmRGraQICdgUCl0IWTZcCRW9NG_5R14oOH-WtaG5nk4gJo_sUcmCEeSp1P1p6Xm0yD-fCvdD1IovRxe7t9Lk6g23vQaWJ7pqp5OqaxHzZf7IQ4V0xM/s4110/2023%207-11%20CMO%20(10).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="4110" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCskFpGBg8vhJ519YIPHwk0mzWC07nc9zQflsCN7-msFXDcnMFWPgHAi-ZOdXEVNaNtbpVqxyjXmRGraQICdgUCl0IWTZcCRW9NG_5R14oOH-WtaG5nk4gJo_sUcmCEeSp1P1p6Xm0yD-fCvdD1IovRxe7t9Lk6g23vQaWJ7pqp5OqaxHzZf7IQ4V0xM/w400-h234/2023%207-11%20CMO%20(10).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And the daily triple-digit heat brought Crissal Thrashers to the water drip for the first time ever. That was lovely!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9mJNnL1lYlwds8t5f1kvWb9JtN-e_bUkZVPwMNPzhEeptfHY9cqPXa7eiBsfFx8yehT9dGhqA5JaRUCETm9XHmWsXTpwPMlpwI6N-SqwhXrFGj6lWxfwXNfc8P5EdYpI0vI1JhV4voNP0p8UpIkGtFGJ9tdvpaGl90_8Mz_i52Q4boD_BiPo8qXxCDw/s4314/2023%207-11%20CMO%20(4).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2982" data-original-width="4314" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9mJNnL1lYlwds8t5f1kvWb9JtN-e_bUkZVPwMNPzhEeptfHY9cqPXa7eiBsfFx8yehT9dGhqA5JaRUCETm9XHmWsXTpwPMlpwI6N-SqwhXrFGj6lWxfwXNfc8P5EdYpI0vI1JhV4voNP0p8UpIkGtFGJ9tdvpaGl90_8Mz_i52Q4boD_BiPo8qXxCDw/w400-h276/2023%207-11%20CMO%20(4).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">By the time <b>August </b>arrived, we had endured two months of record heat and barely a trace of rainfall. Yet, thanks to those May rains, I was able to keep the oasis watered and healthy looking. Three weeks into August we got a welcome soaking rain, but no runoff into the tanks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>September</b> led into fall, without the oasis getting a single summer monsoon. Triple digit heat nearly every day. Birding was good since there was water at the oasis, and berries, still thanks to that rain in late May.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX7uMWX-pqrzlbd9g54ASRFzowpkfEJ5BiI9gX61pAccZ3bPobo7l1-FGH4OS-bs444qpujyQafA5tIBn9zn4TtE0rsIMHGblbgWMouYcMILXWuOdWvcyqn0JzXXiTk-pyUQkk1tIw8-mMBHX6RTKLYN-u_IIBmM-6U8vchBR0YYCu1Usu6LN3sRBF_4/s2394/2023%209-7%20CMO%20(4).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2010" data-original-width="2394" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX7uMWX-pqrzlbd9g54ASRFzowpkfEJ5BiI9gX61pAccZ3bPobo7l1-FGH4OS-bs444qpujyQafA5tIBn9zn4TtE0rsIMHGblbgWMouYcMILXWuOdWvcyqn0JzXXiTk-pyUQkk1tIw8-mMBHX6RTKLYN-u_IIBmM-6U8vchBR0YYCu1Usu6LN3sRBF_4/w400-h336/2023%209-7%20CMO%20(4).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warbling Vireo at Chinese Pistachio berries</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBuZ35LTelSkLlCcQufCmBAv6zGkXM3PNcvg5kB4-KeUTaiLyVueO2uv6ZiDcQ4NH8zWLGcy8w8gAg0XzIs3wy7p_tX1xPXVIsQOR96xOA8gKfdg-IRs4gA7DYDpY4HtVi1YCWQb0uQgsRDLRgpHajBIfHLbMuTKp0Yo1yFdExufmUSqj640SkDXKnoY/s1756/2023%209-13%20CMO.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1338" data-original-width="1756" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBuZ35LTelSkLlCcQufCmBAv6zGkXM3PNcvg5kB4-KeUTaiLyVueO2uv6ZiDcQ4NH8zWLGcy8w8gAg0XzIs3wy7p_tX1xPXVIsQOR96xOA8gKfdg-IRs4gA7DYDpY4HtVi1YCWQb0uQgsRDLRgpHajBIfHLbMuTKp0Yo1yFdExufmUSqj640SkDXKnoY/w400-h305/2023%209-13%20CMO.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy Judy Sims</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>October</b> eased in with very little abating of the oppressive heat. On the first, my son discovered fresh bear tracks, but no damage. I'm sure the bear gorged on persimmon fruit. The acorns were still green. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIeEMjK1ckHItYlT6BHoj-UKByUMm4qasV0Ux-VHNDuOxUuS_1keeaURx3vDDYeJBb2gski0x1_U9-pZMCPw7ggDQH2P9QHpy5nkDeif-d_TSjmNz4-aY1rPjfqzVenRdP52xy8Ipyvp6Y5eQ84AQhiTb_jycrMT3BN_Utmp2CYCpygB6hdo7gQcTR8w/s3262/IMG_20231001_104108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3262" data-original-width="2724" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIeEMjK1ckHItYlT6BHoj-UKByUMm4qasV0Ux-VHNDuOxUuS_1keeaURx3vDDYeJBb2gski0x1_U9-pZMCPw7ggDQH2P9QHpy5nkDeif-d_TSjmNz4-aY1rPjfqzVenRdP52xy8Ipyvp6Y5eQ84AQhiTb_jycrMT3BN_Utmp2CYCpygB6hdo7gQcTR8w/w534-h640/IMG_20231001_104108.jpg" width="534" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A couple of days later, I loved having a White-eyed Vireo and Hermit Warbler drop by for a drink.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih5qbddNHYh0s40l9QWgs7Ok1JhESF7d9zBNLAy_qKQUGXE8LukMZUj3b-v7hN5rJ6NmqWINZ40sh4FEKZrciROiWY8TZVg4ng-jhztn-eIR1ke1ib0a616J7YGWcOVS9A8rk2oyaKNVwaiKrJr5RQ7_CEaVVz_IR7vDV9VFljsLxfek8u0XJuWSHtLv4/s1566/2023%2010-3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1404" data-original-width="1566" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih5qbddNHYh0s40l9QWgs7Ok1JhESF7d9zBNLAy_qKQUGXE8LukMZUj3b-v7hN5rJ6NmqWINZ40sh4FEKZrciROiWY8TZVg4ng-jhztn-eIR1ke1ib0a616J7YGWcOVS9A8rk2oyaKNVwaiKrJr5RQ7_CEaVVz_IR7vDV9VFljsLxfek8u0XJuWSHtLv4/w400-h359/2023%2010-3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioL1lyxYCPkZgvTMAWUhreoP-m1GAGw7swg93DNVHIBpfY6UTSlfsH1MMLsB1bHla9OYuih37iAsNW7DFPI6TrLN5tKpscnEQ7lhaFs1jAOvfvDEgZWunEuqyEXOrUVcXV-_OfS0kSrr7sli25ktw_kN2SdBE2KUDvNjB4yrcnje0GVDC9M7a8bXpat3A/s1026/2023%2010-3%20CMO%20(4).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1026" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioL1lyxYCPkZgvTMAWUhreoP-m1GAGw7swg93DNVHIBpfY6UTSlfsH1MMLsB1bHla9OYuih37iAsNW7DFPI6TrLN5tKpscnEQ7lhaFs1jAOvfvDEgZWunEuqyEXOrUVcXV-_OfS0kSrr7sli25ktw_kN2SdBE2KUDvNjB4yrcnje0GVDC9M7a8bXpat3A/w400-h398/2023%2010-3%20CMO%20(4).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Late in the month we got another soaking rain, still no runoff. By then, temperatures had cooled down. Then, two days later, another mini-monsoon provided some needed runoff. I was able to pump enough into the tanks to ensure the oasis will be fine until next year's rainy season. A big relief!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmd7tjBXBwJG3PU5PmxmIPEiuK87gUTqZNaeD2rgG6lffQOAUl5bGHNO6giNOpwYj3xoxMKxucjWiGc70a5fWh6_5F4mlrsQhkQDfe8OUQlvWdM3-gyytbI1WIWJP7VFheWLM39SPKfOJwLTXRX9srFHb0HBBxWoS6unAY5tNG5F6NvE0zy2hftqEcX8/s620/october%202023.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="620" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmd7tjBXBwJG3PU5PmxmIPEiuK87gUTqZNaeD2rgG6lffQOAUl5bGHNO6giNOpwYj3xoxMKxucjWiGc70a5fWh6_5F4mlrsQhkQDfe8OUQlvWdM3-gyytbI1WIWJP7VFheWLM39SPKfOJwLTXRX9srFHb0HBBxWoS6unAY5tNG5F6NvE0zy2hftqEcX8/w400-h350/october%202023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Around then, I had the new dental implants installed, with slightly less pain, but still excruciating. If all goes as planned, I'll have teeth sometime in February. Meanwhile, still a diet of pureed food.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a third early<b> November </b>attempt (the last two with Mike and Cecilia) I finally got the pair of Nutting's Flycatchers that were hanging around Big Bend National Park's Santa Elena Canyon area. Of course my photos are never as good as I'd like them to be, but I was satisfied.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMtIVY-zvFNoV7gZXr8JsCBtCzBQXT_pXwgyFmDH6cpotVJBBSbPe3WQi7sIsq4yTMwWAclqlO7yzhF-_xYtAIIB31XSwWq3avSPNVUXXVQLQLGt012vkBYUiVbjAEp0cs_Uskx8VZwGc1_NilWDq6vk7FI3BzEqj3qrXod9rVygfIrY0F2r_TI4C6cY/s2736/2023%2011-7%20BBNP%20(20)ps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="2116" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMtIVY-zvFNoV7gZXr8JsCBtCzBQXT_pXwgyFmDH6cpotVJBBSbPe3WQi7sIsq4yTMwWAclqlO7yzhF-_xYtAIIB31XSwWq3avSPNVUXXVQLQLGt012vkBYUiVbjAEp0cs_Uskx8VZwGc1_NilWDq6vk7FI3BzEqj3qrXod9rVygfIrY0F2r_TI4C6cY/w494-h640/2023%2011-7%20BBNP%20(20)ps.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also in early November, I had a close encounter with a bear at the oasis. He turned a ten-foot oak tree into a three-foot tree, but probably a tree I shouldn't have anyway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-NwlPlASMafoEdJ-t0uzUia2Uv5I_UNYtjGa-FncJxxGCQDHqVGpsNifOU5LRCh0XdDTptxbGfufk79kdylVwCvjVJbteVABWw_DjWJfUe5zkm4A4QgtD0FEmw8mEmq5nfV1er1eHpvF1opSVjocf_FrMtDNTpHJNOiO7suQdTEYVRqDJE9ib4HGHHw/s5472/2023%2011-5%20CMO%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-NwlPlASMafoEdJ-t0uzUia2Uv5I_UNYtjGa-FncJxxGCQDHqVGpsNifOU5LRCh0XdDTptxbGfufk79kdylVwCvjVJbteVABWw_DjWJfUe5zkm4A4QgtD0FEmw8mEmq5nfV1er1eHpvF1opSVjocf_FrMtDNTpHJNOiO7suQdTEYVRqDJE9ib4HGHHw/w400-h266/2023%2011-5%20CMO%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">November weather was lovely, with a few nice soaking rains. I took advantage by birding as much as possible. While no lifers, I got some new species for my Presidio and Jeff Davis county lists. The more lifers one has, the harder it is to get new ones. But I enjoyed getting some of the less common species for our area. Most unexpected was a Williamson's Sapsucker in Presidio County. A male Lucifer was still residing at the oasis on November 26th, which was a first.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8VAM4LxGoLPOr5GCtJT2HkhqT_kZnCqHtd8TpLZhiGaYVXmxebz3U8myBae2NQJYxazjxMJSsub_m4HU5l2iHjAIhWq3Z1CL6jIBRJlsNKublrtsvFd-6KyA4m-pykLnLjWePwXiIeABdv3VPiHH1f-XHiYKzZ9_D8Kwxj2sJ4TwZGUy-cnIysu7GmY/s3124/2023%2011-26%20CMO%20(11).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2584" data-original-width="3124" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8VAM4LxGoLPOr5GCtJT2HkhqT_kZnCqHtd8TpLZhiGaYVXmxebz3U8myBae2NQJYxazjxMJSsub_m4HU5l2iHjAIhWq3Z1CL6jIBRJlsNKublrtsvFd-6KyA4m-pykLnLjWePwXiIeABdv3VPiHH1f-XHiYKzZ9_D8Kwxj2sJ4TwZGUy-cnIysu7GmY/w400-h331/2023%2011-26%20CMO%20(11).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>December </b>weather was nice for the most part, but birding was rather slow at my normal birding places, so I ventured farther afield. For the first time in two years, I birded Lake Balmorhea, and got my first photos of Red-throated and Pacific Loons, plus discovered a Black-legged Kittiwake and Surf Scoter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNg_E4nqn72KPjCIQhylAb9Q9gb5uhyphenhyphen03zjsN4HJGjt9TBCyUKnYoiwq8WMBGvjEMG_jatNQ1FpVvHJiA8ewkFqYztt5Sf6Z8UzvPaBJYLmWrRD9_YGgXMu4RlSkJQpW9sis0LdJvEGS4eLVzFgDXvsQZJ_o6AfqqEXCHMJeorAtI7T5bHEzFjQwzhMKo/s1764/2023%2012-19%20BAL%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1608" data-original-width="1764" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNg_E4nqn72KPjCIQhylAb9Q9gb5uhyphenhyphen03zjsN4HJGjt9TBCyUKnYoiwq8WMBGvjEMG_jatNQ1FpVvHJiA8ewkFqYztt5Sf6Z8UzvPaBJYLmWrRD9_YGgXMu4RlSkJQpW9sis0LdJvEGS4eLVzFgDXvsQZJ_o6AfqqEXCHMJeorAtI7T5bHEzFjQwzhMKo/w400-h365/2023%2012-19%20BAL%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The oasis still looked fairly green, especially the dragonfly pond. Some kind of weed sprouted in it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5w8iIYqj0D0VN_2fLR0ZLct1J3zGZVkMGumgkbdMXUGETXMV66uvMcM081bnvf6NdvG8cHCdnVDHj5RkdMY9Hfh3F4uTosJiIHzDQfEk-vl15ksaI8xg3wDg1EYJF-VjsC55HTaxsAezs9gaZlisD62zOrgdJ1Zip_T4dhNYj6TkzU_u2EPFlGzjx90/s4472/2023%2012-1%20CMO%20(25).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3284" data-original-width="4472" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5w8iIYqj0D0VN_2fLR0ZLct1J3zGZVkMGumgkbdMXUGETXMV66uvMcM081bnvf6NdvG8cHCdnVDHj5RkdMY9Hfh3F4uTosJiIHzDQfEk-vl15ksaI8xg3wDg1EYJF-VjsC55HTaxsAezs9gaZlisD62zOrgdJ1Zip_T4dhNYj6TkzU_u2EPFlGzjx90/w400-h294/2023%2012-1%20CMO%20(25).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqf87iV2J8kmd2x8iBRFoOMHp4uYAyw7o2DbbS2JFyWMGMydacXYBb5fJ0rmSuR5QHetL6X6YflTHpoUGoFNQOlQ4jS-VMgQMy5Oqa9eri16Pm_IXK7xSz5UePvCuVJ77DkXhDfMn_m951zOsG035YIvTdGQ2Nj5-Q033PIOaunKpT93tOAxRBXXmhW4/s5472/2023%2012-1%20CMO%20(26).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqf87iV2J8kmd2x8iBRFoOMHp4uYAyw7o2DbbS2JFyWMGMydacXYBb5fJ0rmSuR5QHetL6X6YflTHpoUGoFNQOlQ4jS-VMgQMy5Oqa9eri16Pm_IXK7xSz5UePvCuVJ77DkXhDfMn_m951zOsG035YIvTdGQ2Nj5-Q033PIOaunKpT93tOAxRBXXmhW4/w400-h266/2023%2012-1%20CMO%20(26).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A surprise American Woodcock showed up in a yard near downtown Alpine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6HIPH57Sz5zth9nFEMDtMRaPSUC4q5CA7aVCqkYvybaKvWpPHLUr2jKVvZ-gRo9QY8Fs-G88EdtYxY43izJkCr49iL4f_UBKrcnpvQjbF_-Z375hNNUXHyYN3mYNKRZU_Sa2xCFxaufpKJii56HBp8BceEhvd1QtEez9ncHm-gsCTyXxveyuhr9S3Gk/s2920/2023%2012-17%20ALP%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2004" data-original-width="2920" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6HIPH57Sz5zth9nFEMDtMRaPSUC4q5CA7aVCqkYvybaKvWpPHLUr2jKVvZ-gRo9QY8Fs-G88EdtYxY43izJkCr49iL4f_UBKrcnpvQjbF_-Z375hNNUXHyYN3mYNKRZU_Sa2xCFxaufpKJii56HBp8BceEhvd1QtEez9ncHm-gsCTyXxveyuhr9S3Gk/w400-h275/2023%2012-17%20ALP%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">My talented son had to make cages for the wifi extenders to keep the woodpeckers from destroying them. I learned that the expensive way.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVp5X94Q08tryQjJmMViTiY8_kSnIvsZTLs3Iu2U71wEHwDgX83-DrqwOhO-U2BlTYvp3EisT4WS_H0Nw5IczJpEwuLjf7qLSmSyW-AyK1TE5gQusZM9aDtmUoTiTOu45r3dqMoI1BKHoLmvVhWrdt6b4grsXut6VVUfiCM5rj9jozXRe2Y0VxvQ4IczI/s1599/2023%2012-26%20CMO%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVp5X94Q08tryQjJmMViTiY8_kSnIvsZTLs3Iu2U71wEHwDgX83-DrqwOhO-U2BlTYvp3EisT4WS_H0Nw5IczJpEwuLjf7qLSmSyW-AyK1TE5gQusZM9aDtmUoTiTOu45r3dqMoI1BKHoLmvVhWrdt6b4grsXut6VVUfiCM5rj9jozXRe2Y0VxvQ4IczI/w360-h640/2023%2012-26%20CMO%20(1).jpg" width="360" /></a></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Health-wise, I'm grateful for the progress I made in 2023. Even though I went through dental torture, I have most of that behind me and should soon be in better dental shape. I got cured of Hep C and got over a broken navicular bone in my foot. For many months I had feared I'd be limping painfully for the rest of my life, after doctors told me it was osteoarthritis, and nothing broken showed up on x-rays. Some other minor issues are not getting worse (such as tinnitus, essential tremors, etc.) And, of course, the Covid I had in January was mild. So can't complain for an 83-year-old.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">I'm thankful for all the great times I had in 2023 and anticipate many awesome adventures in 2024 (besides enjoying having wifi at the oasis)... teeth, great birds that are sure to visit, family, birders/friends, and much more! So Happy New Year to us all!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-10547772629827852762023-12-25T20:50:00.000-08:002023-12-25T20:54:02.929-08:00Christmas day stuff<p>I spent my Christmas day birding at Candelaria Wetlands. Not as birdy this time of year, but still lots of fun. Saw this raccoon. I enjoy seeing them in natural settings, just not at our man-made Alpine ponds.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5DNOsNTlEzB9Xd0VqD_RdbBfqmOLHhNbueqAx6ccVyU_09FatdoLuPgAb4gP_U2ZAWe2hkcE5hIUeI685CdhIBJjzc85y0p3Zg3koOm_GMjRbWjvBRNMKZByFGnzdVCFEytBcGoElNHHobBHqZtwdjQHxo_EmlTLbA7oqPjl3n7SZeNHU_isMAHIbtE/s5472/2023%2012-25%20CAND%20(21).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5DNOsNTlEzB9Xd0VqD_RdbBfqmOLHhNbueqAx6ccVyU_09FatdoLuPgAb4gP_U2ZAWe2hkcE5hIUeI685CdhIBJjzc85y0p3Zg3koOm_GMjRbWjvBRNMKZByFGnzdVCFEytBcGoElNHHobBHqZtwdjQHxo_EmlTLbA7oqPjl3n7SZeNHU_isMAHIbtE/w400-h266/2023%2012-25%20CAND%20(21).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I guess the best birds I saw there today were about five <b>Common Mergansers</b>. I had seen them there years ago before I began documenting my sightings, so it was nice to get documentation. Too far away for good photos though.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLFT7q26ezmIFUZlRKO8HvR2uP46IACDWE7Y6ge4RD-6oR4Y9G-rwDwbKfvOF9yaRrxhHht-45ugg0nFSAtHrSXJqIrDOnEtBRYRj9ilOxubUuJTID8PrTCHvciVeV4jGIoBMjDFZkO3Om-RrH6XwLFHaG6p6QZcRvVu-l_07AzZuiFhZt1O5d3T5HSY/s1508/2023%2012-25%20CAND%20(25).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1288" data-original-width="1508" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLFT7q26ezmIFUZlRKO8HvR2uP46IACDWE7Y6ge4RD-6oR4Y9G-rwDwbKfvOF9yaRrxhHht-45ugg0nFSAtHrSXJqIrDOnEtBRYRj9ilOxubUuJTID8PrTCHvciVeV4jGIoBMjDFZkO3Om-RrH6XwLFHaG6p6QZcRvVu-l_07AzZuiFhZt1O5d3T5HSY/w400-h341/2023%2012-25%20CAND%20(25).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Probably one of my better <b>Marsh Wren </b>photos.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAnfhd37JjWXDqTfvLJ6ty0AU5RGuFWbTODhAg7AM6OEtdFUqpCl9Ye6Nq5z3m29Vsmh9bi8HmVlJz19hPJMfMfnHzU60_BZWxJQ6-cEnIweRCuYeDLXBJUdrKPaTjbFbYc0cjbkbkIRbjQ-x-YeNTPebZzjuE_qw__uqs76Fwc2vPFUyzRdAs-SFF_U/s883/2023%2012-25%20CAND%20(18).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="767" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAnfhd37JjWXDqTfvLJ6ty0AU5RGuFWbTODhAg7AM6OEtdFUqpCl9Ye6Nq5z3m29Vsmh9bi8HmVlJz19hPJMfMfnHzU60_BZWxJQ6-cEnIweRCuYeDLXBJUdrKPaTjbFbYc0cjbkbkIRbjQ-x-YeNTPebZzjuE_qw__uqs76Fwc2vPFUyzRdAs-SFF_U/w348-h400/2023%2012-25%20CAND%20(18).JPG" width="348" /></a></div><br /><div>Our local grocery store sold out to Lowe's grocery chain. Not much has really changed, so far anyway, but I really love the new carts. Pushing large carts makes my back hurt when you try to change direction with the cart. It twists it somehow. But Lowe's has these awesome little carts that are so easy to push that my back doesn't even notice.</div><div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6rFeObONmc62LtXPOMEdosfN4zWhDgsD2ISmU9NafgF46IFZaWEJoYi2SmTeEkRYY3Xp678go65BZQCHlD8ogGbZEg1tpcuT-cmDB7wWqQ1f_DDqYnZMooriQlMIB0B3P3KdTCGS0-BdkXl3RU_wguBwzQOhg5zrqMBPiF_3H_lec3FBp0LYwhNEyqPE/s3264/20231224_084618.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6rFeObONmc62LtXPOMEdosfN4zWhDgsD2ISmU9NafgF46IFZaWEJoYi2SmTeEkRYY3Xp678go65BZQCHlD8ogGbZEg1tpcuT-cmDB7wWqQ1f_DDqYnZMooriQlMIB0B3P3KdTCGS0-BdkXl3RU_wguBwzQOhg5zrqMBPiF_3H_lec3FBp0LYwhNEyqPE/w300-h400/20231224_084618.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj_kznaN_B-_j7RqdkLjxoVM6knreVyHIe37JloOALFXvXj3J7mrFt3Vr0tBaHdAg75VxcSZULPlSt2JsjeHix4d6fPTHiy7iTiWAAekOzieysCnDP4ubHe4n1mKOjKkgXXlIieCPZx6maiZObbIB9nzwOMBcoDhhcRwyU4z4Hrup4BOCQH35oMbU448/s3264/20231224_085029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj_kznaN_B-_j7RqdkLjxoVM6knreVyHIe37JloOALFXvXj3J7mrFt3Vr0tBaHdAg75VxcSZULPlSt2JsjeHix4d6fPTHiy7iTiWAAekOzieysCnDP4ubHe4n1mKOjKkgXXlIieCPZx6maiZObbIB9nzwOMBcoDhhcRwyU4z4Hrup4BOCQH35oMbU448/w400-h300/20231224_085029.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Before these carts, I used to pull those long handled baskets around. Didn't hurt my back pulling them, but stooping over to put stuff in and take stuff out was a killer.</div><div><br /></div><div>My son, Leonardo, made his wife a beautiful kneeling bench and painting for Christmas. I was very impressed, as usual, with his talent.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYwxajlgkrUz4gz1gbJMyRXkQ8fFoYPUrJlBiOO5Za-hvEjT_cGW9Yz0TELlmnMBF61Q5h6ORGkV9Kjoq-1ggPovjDrBMWnrPz2t2bKrZ8ngECA3w6fzyMkezt49T4bLs35WouGtS3sKwHGyYzm3kl2oT0zqHGHbyaSErnpq6f0XVfjlQT4azsObIKss/s2524/20231224_140228.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2524" data-original-width="1904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYwxajlgkrUz4gz1gbJMyRXkQ8fFoYPUrJlBiOO5Za-hvEjT_cGW9Yz0TELlmnMBF61Q5h6ORGkV9Kjoq-1ggPovjDrBMWnrPz2t2bKrZ8ngECA3w6fzyMkezt49T4bLs35WouGtS3sKwHGyYzm3kl2oT0zqHGHbyaSErnpq6f0XVfjlQT4azsObIKss/w482-h640/20231224_140228.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyheDr64ULSkTqLpIpszokyRBMTznzIe6rpDwP8Tt2cUDCIFppWBo8-qJDxPCcUt0xalyqrdNF8LzVP4tcQY7TJa09Y9q3quGVKGY6ZELXv0MwS_lDBGBHiSgA6ELdtGVb-8FzbVnjkCupMLGIB8y7OY5ntGzr0WiPB-QSePHl-dkaH9y1_MBVEY3UMIs/s2320/20231224_140238.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="1896" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyheDr64ULSkTqLpIpszokyRBMTznzIe6rpDwP8Tt2cUDCIFppWBo8-qJDxPCcUt0xalyqrdNF8LzVP4tcQY7TJa09Y9q3quGVKGY6ZELXv0MwS_lDBGBHiSgA6ELdtGVb-8FzbVnjkCupMLGIB8y7OY5ntGzr0WiPB-QSePHl-dkaH9y1_MBVEY3UMIs/w524-h640/20231224_140238.jpg" width="524" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAhGwidtOrnBUUprvLpWIUjHpvrgdLtetgelNFLFu8cOV_w-dCfaqS6ePSBCYmtwL6x2_RktRmmWzuA9tr5x5qpQUoRE-Qbs3WhWSvKZfMhhBByb5ZEMKfzM0FbAUM4jagVsSGbMg7Mo6UndfyRRsDqGdE_mconKH3flhyphenhyphenD8H_s0lvJoypDrZa8y_8pY/s3156/20231224_140341.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3156" data-original-width="2224" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAhGwidtOrnBUUprvLpWIUjHpvrgdLtetgelNFLFu8cOV_w-dCfaqS6ePSBCYmtwL6x2_RktRmmWzuA9tr5x5qpQUoRE-Qbs3WhWSvKZfMhhBByb5ZEMKfzM0FbAUM4jagVsSGbMg7Mo6UndfyRRsDqGdE_mconKH3flhyphenhyphenD8H_s0lvJoypDrZa8y_8pY/w452-h640/20231224_140341.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br /><div><p>Hope you all had a jolly Christmas day!</p><p><br /></p></div>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-63132285098577558362023-12-23T18:11:00.000-08:002023-12-23T18:11:19.678-08:00Costa's or Anna's?<p>Since at least November 16th there's been a hummingbird at the oasis that at least one birder submitted as a Costa's. I personally haven't seen anything I'd consider a Costa's, but have been vigilant about photographing any candidates that I see. Today I again did my best. I'm thinking it's a hybrid between the two species, so did a little research to see if they're even known to hybridize. Here's what I found. </p><p><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">During the past few years studies of suburban populations of hummingbirds in southern California have revealed a new hybrid combination. </span><span style="color: #040c28; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">Eleven individuals have been located that seem to represent hybrids between <span jsaction="click:sKUsF" role="tooltip" style="outline: 0px;" tabindex="0"><g-bubble data-ci="" data-du="200" data-tp="5" jsaction="R9S7w:VqIRre;" jscontroller="QVaUhf" jsshadow=""><span class="c5aZPb" data-enable-toggle-animation="true" data-extra-container-classes="ZLo7Eb" data-hover-hide-delay="1000" data-hover-open-delay="500" data-send-open-event="true" data-theme="0" data-ved="2ahUKEwin78f18KaDAxXPkmoFHSthCU8QmpgGegQIHhAD" data-width="250" jsaction="vQLyHf" jsname="d6wfac" jsslot="" role="button" style="cursor: pointer; outline: 0px;" tabindex="0"><span class="JPfdse" data-bubble-link="" data-segment-text="Calypte" jsname="ukx3I" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgba(4, 12, 40, 0.5);">Calypte</span></span></g-bubble></span> anna (Anna's Hummingbird) and Calypte costae (Costa's Hummingbird)</span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></span></p><p>So what do you think? These photos are from today.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydSb_SNEWNrbKLp-5iGqTgva3m7FZHocjwj8a1DxOiEBJT2Secn6o8e8jL_4TuKrdzqMaL-cj-AsvU7CyVATQmcG3P3mk6gpPnqU2Ir8eLmseNYRSid0IXd3-Zgnb_vA3jDNNod35cwtx8Hhfk3DOMAtm_R7VJuKZT0MsHgN-poaFRlktNCzEGteHsPo/s1700/2023%2012-23%20CMO%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1700" data-original-width="1608" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydSb_SNEWNrbKLp-5iGqTgva3m7FZHocjwj8a1DxOiEBJT2Secn6o8e8jL_4TuKrdzqMaL-cj-AsvU7CyVATQmcG3P3mk6gpPnqU2Ir8eLmseNYRSid0IXd3-Zgnb_vA3jDNNod35cwtx8Hhfk3DOMAtm_R7VJuKZT0MsHgN-poaFRlktNCzEGteHsPo/w379-h400/2023%2012-23%20CMO%20(2).JPG" width="379" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuap_kPrGhk6VyUT0uWMByFjIv3WD1mZB2mggnUR5HWVTx_QJQJkhNz9etJ37-n0IyIFJIqylcYxHKhde8hPSdnVUvd2BdfwwYy7HsURDrTaA5VUFC6ANMvD5gEzB18S_u2X9Nk_t1EZt3pS93zubyBckjocSX8iTuEQ-fQc07wBY7wDUVb8DDNwjCKU/s3444/2023%2012-23%20CMO%20(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3444" data-original-width="2936" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuap_kPrGhk6VyUT0uWMByFjIv3WD1mZB2mggnUR5HWVTx_QJQJkhNz9etJ37-n0IyIFJIqylcYxHKhde8hPSdnVUvd2BdfwwYy7HsURDrTaA5VUFC6ANMvD5gEzB18S_u2X9Nk_t1EZt3pS93zubyBckjocSX8iTuEQ-fQc07wBY7wDUVb8DDNwjCKU/w341-h400/2023%2012-23%20CMO%20(5).JPG" width="341" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been photographing what I think is this bird since Nov 16. It was submitted to ebird as a Costa's on Nov 29 by a visiting birder. Kelly Bryan confirmed it as a Costa's based on this photo.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY6r-JsGn-zpWK1EYp1nJcuK0Urp4myf3pm4JJnNzgYb-pOuoycj9PK6uSqQ5VAVFDPGnO4V39_0crAyR1yKu95f6reobFOmtUkIqi5G7UbC53w3pqyJrPFyc4cQJ561cbuWHEMUC7RViLykX_DgbN5xoyhkBYCWziPIJzEkz8nh4h_gh9KtucZeNnms/s506/2023%2011-29%20CMO%20PDwyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="502" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY6r-JsGn-zpWK1EYp1nJcuK0Urp4myf3pm4JJnNzgYb-pOuoycj9PK6uSqQ5VAVFDPGnO4V39_0crAyR1yKu95f6reobFOmtUkIqi5G7UbC53w3pqyJrPFyc4cQJ561cbuWHEMUC7RViLykX_DgbN5xoyhkBYCWziPIJzEkz8nh4h_gh9KtucZeNnms/w396-h400/2023%2011-29%20CMO%20PDwyer.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>In person, the bird seems too large, and the tail too long to be a Costa's. I'm almost positive I saw a tinge of red on the gorget. However, the tail is definitely shorter than the wings, although in my opinion, the tail isn't as short as a Costa's. The experts will sort it out, but I'm convinced it's an Anna's, as much as I'd love it to be a Costa's. A hybrid would be awesome though! <div><br /></div><div>Or is the bird of Nov 29 a totally different bird?</div><div><br /></div><div>It's two days before Christmas and my sister and niece are still finding awesome flowers blooming. Here's one they found today and ID'd as a<b> Silver Dwarf Morning-Glory</b> (<i>Evolvulus sericeus</i>). Not confirmed yet, but a new one for our properties if it is.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0cLbvhjISFshu6PS9lZydEzbSpTQ2w0qzZwE63kdDT_iibpG1Ml57Osj-DUqvjBqsSHxgvt_plb-EIOJ29rYOlVE6Y3UUr7o-bQjQx8w2tYpMpwVn0rdpz0_Zm707nbutUNe7MXuA25T7ylp_ifD0BsXGJDMAsUBw98CzmYPYGcP3q6-JJxSdKIyQ1E/s1597/Silverleaf%20Morning%20Glory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1597" data-original-width="1497" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0cLbvhjISFshu6PS9lZydEzbSpTQ2w0qzZwE63kdDT_iibpG1Ml57Osj-DUqvjBqsSHxgvt_plb-EIOJ29rYOlVE6Y3UUr7o-bQjQx8w2tYpMpwVn0rdpz0_Zm707nbutUNe7MXuA25T7ylp_ifD0BsXGJDMAsUBw98CzmYPYGcP3q6-JJxSdKIyQ1E/w375-h400/Silverleaf%20Morning%20Glory.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br /><div>Just another day in paradise!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-16890695988478100502023-12-18T21:18:00.000-08:002023-12-19T13:07:41.682-08:00What can I say?<p>Today I stuck my head out the patio door to tell my husband something while he was sitting out there. I heard a tanager call. Then a kinglet. Then other birds. Excitedly grabbed my shoes, jacket, headwrap, UV glasses, hat, binoculars, camera, and cell phone as I raced outside to find the rarity. Heading back toward the ponds I saw an obvious birder in a car parked along the street. By the time I approached, I already knew the answer to the question I was about to ask the person. Yup, she was playing a "medley" of bird calls. Hmm...</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yFY9chiAiAHGqgvUOqBzOEnsW1318w1OJCcrsWmTPYPjzvxiMFWci-qSTcvZmQKLjipn-NtAFyIs4YTyA9QF85rGVZYd_4zb2Kmq5sAJSEVrr3ePFZov_vRKzQ99XcoccOTTkand9JAVz7hn46IPkdSwYXE1Yos2RvsnPgvBkZPhsMSnEtJkIIiNOl4/s1882/2023%2012-18%20by%20LSonoqui.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="1882" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yFY9chiAiAHGqgvUOqBzOEnsW1318w1OJCcrsWmTPYPjzvxiMFWci-qSTcvZmQKLjipn-NtAFyIs4YTyA9QF85rGVZYd_4zb2Kmq5sAJSEVrr3ePFZov_vRKzQ99XcoccOTTkand9JAVz7hn46IPkdSwYXE1Yos2RvsnPgvBkZPhsMSnEtJkIIiNOl4/w400-h256/2023%2012-18%20by%20LSonoqui.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>There's a very out-of-place <b>American Woodcock</b> at a residence in Alpine. The homeowners are happy to have birders come see it, and themselves posted the address on Facebook, which is how I found out about it. Some ace birders knowingly submitted the wrong address in their ebird reports. I know how upset I would be if I drove many miles to see a rarity, or lifer, and ended up searching in the wrong yard, maybe a yard that was not birder-friendly. Hmm...</p><p><br /></p><p>Alpine is crawling with feral, and pet, cats. I worry one will get the woodcock. I hate having them in our yard. We trap some, but it's a losing battle. Hmm...</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DdpmItWMQ-Ghp3_fuFYF85mxJ49R_YR37LzBNp7ZGDY44qrSd8OXV8TtqmM72tM-hcJVoVMjAcBrhL-gAkbE5QfOc_NUKbHhce3IKpmCdIRllJ9TtObsQIzUXH85ZLAXUB-8GkkrOuQ1JWz4vuI6r0qMu1y4wDtdT2h28bxwjNnAFobNzsw_-Trbg1M/s4252/2023%2012-13%20ALP%20(5).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3436" data-original-width="4252" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DdpmItWMQ-Ghp3_fuFYF85mxJ49R_YR37LzBNp7ZGDY44qrSd8OXV8TtqmM72tM-hcJVoVMjAcBrhL-gAkbE5QfOc_NUKbHhce3IKpmCdIRllJ9TtObsQIzUXH85ZLAXUB-8GkkrOuQ1JWz4vuI6r0qMu1y4wDtdT2h28bxwjNnAFobNzsw_-Trbg1M/w400-h324/2023%2012-13%20ALP%20(5).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm going to Balmorhea birding tomorrow to de-stress. Um-hmm..</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-80960664201843721302023-12-11T17:54:00.000-08:002023-12-11T18:06:25.287-08:00Persistence pays again<p>After four hours of my third, and final, attempt to photograph the <b>Red-throated Loon</b> at Lake Balmorhea, I decided to give up and head home. I made one final drive across the dam, and incredibly, got my photo!* I can't remember when I've worked that hard to get a photo, but I probably have. LOL</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOY3FoEHV5mVYzlww638csTB6HWMzzr7zBCFqQLuVlf_pfodmWqei5XC4jrl3_Q2sRjmMI-n-RqktxEnLVLsaoL-OfXQRzkXPC23DGIgbbewelxYwHYjKi-93YmUn2Cgw9opJ3zfAIP5r1G2SOjplGdT0U4pbsnSjURWbNM9mG9JYtlg1BAyzOHIw1nwU/s1160/2023%2012-11%20BAL%20(131).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="1160" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOY3FoEHV5mVYzlww638csTB6HWMzzr7zBCFqQLuVlf_pfodmWqei5XC4jrl3_Q2sRjmMI-n-RqktxEnLVLsaoL-OfXQRzkXPC23DGIgbbewelxYwHYjKi-93YmUn2Cgw9opJ3zfAIP5r1G2SOjplGdT0U4pbsnSjURWbNM9mG9JYtlg1BAyzOHIw1nwU/w400-h313/2023%2012-11%20BAL%20(131).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Not a great, close photo, but I'll take it! While looking for the loon, I discovered a <b>Surf Scoter,</b> also at the dam. I texted a couple people about the scoter, then decided I should post it to ebird in case someone wanted to come see it asap. (You know how birders are.) Posting on my phone was the only option. Without glasses, and with that small print, I have a very hard time posting on my phone. Plus I still hadn't seen the loon and didn't want to waste precious time on my phone. Eventually, I talked myself into it. I posted it as fast as I could. Too fast. When you post a rarity, you have to type it out in a window. Once you type part of the name, a drop down list of options pop up. I typed SURF and the options came up. I tapped "Surf Scoter," with my big fingers, and hurried back to looking for the loon. When I got home, I was horrified to have messages from people about the Surfbird I had discovered. OMG!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbg7HG0mizF0jZKTYUWd6h8n7Iq2URd5P55aMGAU5a3rmi1gbp6mihftKyS6pg2eYIwqJhRpND0dVdm2vy2dwsgRUsgq8dh8RqbX2Rr_1tmRueyb85t1v2A0CtKQHqvoagwuawA6MBR6XJZND3BhTdALaVD5jsvi8y0FL2Ci9rsPNC0givwyro38kVjg/s2500/2023%2012-11%20BAL.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1780" data-original-width="2500" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbg7HG0mizF0jZKTYUWd6h8n7Iq2URd5P55aMGAU5a3rmi1gbp6mihftKyS6pg2eYIwqJhRpND0dVdm2vy2dwsgRUsgq8dh8RqbX2Rr_1tmRueyb85t1v2A0CtKQHqvoagwuawA6MBR6XJZND3BhTdALaVD5jsvi8y0FL2Ci9rsPNC0givwyro38kVjg/w400-h285/2023%2012-11%20BAL.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I had seen a scoter before at Balmorhea, and the Red-throated Loon I had seen on my previous visit, so they were no longer lifers. I just didn't have photos of them. Also got my first photo of a<b> Greater-fronted Goose</b>. Saw one years ago before I had a camera. So that was fun! (You know my motto: no photo, didn't happen!)</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKOTb05JxCEm2NTF1-YDJHezYNuQlZIYCIfhhOme798G_jpkIaB7MZrbAkjLVsaOC7c88_O9OTh0zO7i5fcLDn_gy3gLqTAd4FtyInvVYZzrEsT5JRI_mKGv4YhFsZFqAS7RlgUs2Qlm2SWH_-0ZQPcNiTr33dh-9XoDVvFwMnkIoP_l4yWwRWVwUzqU/s5472/2023%2012-11%20BAL%20(37).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKOTb05JxCEm2NTF1-YDJHezYNuQlZIYCIfhhOme798G_jpkIaB7MZrbAkjLVsaOC7c88_O9OTh0zO7i5fcLDn_gy3gLqTAd4FtyInvVYZzrEsT5JRI_mKGv4YhFsZFqAS7RlgUs2Qlm2SWH_-0ZQPcNiTr33dh-9XoDVvFwMnkIoP_l4yWwRWVwUzqU/w400-h266/2023%2012-11%20BAL%20(37).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>_______________________________________________________</p><p><br /></p><p>* I can't positively identify difficult species until I download my photos, so I just take lots of photos. I took well over 300 photos today. At the time, all I saw was a loon, so took photos. There were at least five loons on the lake, so while I was photographing the Red-throated, I didn't know that's what it was. When I looked at the enlarged pics of it on my camera I was fairly certain I had finally gotten it. </p><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-2996106476845357602023-12-10T18:40:00.000-08:002023-12-13T18:00:15.038-08:00Elusive Costa's Hummingbird<p>On November 29th Pat Dwyer photographed a Costa's Hummingbird at the oasis. As soon as I learned of it, I rushed down to try and relocate it. No luck, so tried again a week later. No luck. Figured it was just a one stop wonder. </p><p><br /></p><p>Then yesterday Jane Tillman and her husband photographed it. So today I rushed down early this morning and spent 8 hours glued to the bush they both saw it in. Eventually, it dawned on me that if it was trying to come in, the aggressive juvenile male <b>Rufous</b> wasn't going to let it. Since it was policing all the feeders, the solution was to put a new feeder out of sight of the feeder area. I wasted no time in hanging one by the back water drip. I've had to do that before, but it's been quite a while. By then it was time for me to leave, so I don't know the results. Either someone else will benefit, or it won't make a difference, or maybe next time I'm there I can park myself at the outlying feeder and see the Costa's. We'll see. Meanwhile, I took way too many photos of the Rufous.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTCSB3KAO8vKsHCpf52-s-nxt0Lj2PiALdKKwQTzLIl5IFsW0H2qsSRMwAJ0iDVBajvhBsl1BnPrqpfDe7KkhuV1DVYsGBBZobBFBhVNTgSpmnwU0BSgAMxQ9zyImQg0Vw-AZSaHD1KYpEmbmHIRFvRTrr5tPSEOBPj5fzqU5SPad_Ct6_eCM3auF3Dw/s1688/2023%2012-10%20CMO%20(1).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="1688" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTCSB3KAO8vKsHCpf52-s-nxt0Lj2PiALdKKwQTzLIl5IFsW0H2qsSRMwAJ0iDVBajvhBsl1BnPrqpfDe7KkhuV1DVYsGBBZobBFBhVNTgSpmnwU0BSgAMxQ9zyImQg0Vw-AZSaHD1KYpEmbmHIRFvRTrr5tPSEOBPj5fzqU5SPad_Ct6_eCM3auF3Dw/w400-h340/2023%2012-10%20CMO%20(1).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuAan_W8O6uk-wHUDk4KnvOuKPaNjXpyh8IBh6p0S4lpRxP9Z1ESHvmyFr9aud3tH22pARwZ5WLjcV9VPaZ7yDXv7SnnogxXOqZI1IOyy7yTlqF9CsGDJzcuFrO_BftG54b9bVE6unkeIEFYVcpU0mSrwZU2JCbC-fBC1W8pdhI1swNjFVdUXNznWysg/s1820/2023%2012-10%20CMO%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="1820" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuAan_W8O6uk-wHUDk4KnvOuKPaNjXpyh8IBh6p0S4lpRxP9Z1ESHvmyFr9aud3tH22pARwZ5WLjcV9VPaZ7yDXv7SnnogxXOqZI1IOyy7yTlqF9CsGDJzcuFrO_BftG54b9bVE6unkeIEFYVcpU0mSrwZU2JCbC-fBC1W8pdhI1swNjFVdUXNznWysg/w400-h269/2023%2012-10%20CMO%20(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also saw a couple of <b>Anna's,</b> but not much else, as all my focus was on the one goal. Pitiful little to show for eight hours, in temperatures way too cold for my comfort. It's some consolation to know that I didn't see it because it didn't come in. Better than hearing later that it came in and I missed it again. I believe it's the 51st Texas record.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GI9-aCDN7vl7ZbsgqmcZOyBQsB4O6-IAR2XKYN5ZrPPBidJbDNhwqfx3E3ToilzY-6PC1fGKy2HVhg1KH8ecMaob0T1BDFBy_x238J8xtn3PI44zCX5-Vs75LfAxoUsuknO7aIqLBJQsuXhwWsQ88uS9S5I-T2nTIU7Al9fmAPbw59Yqt3IGqCJ0q5M/s1292/2023%2012-10%20CMO%20(11).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="1292" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GI9-aCDN7vl7ZbsgqmcZOyBQsB4O6-IAR2XKYN5ZrPPBidJbDNhwqfx3E3ToilzY-6PC1fGKy2HVhg1KH8ecMaob0T1BDFBy_x238J8xtn3PI44zCX5-Vs75LfAxoUsuknO7aIqLBJQsuXhwWsQ88uS9S5I-T2nTIU7Al9fmAPbw59Yqt3IGqCJ0q5M/s320/2023%2012-10%20CMO%20(11).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna's female</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbkU_HJQP8YqS-kuhjledGiHDlBueUdn5NxrXjbs0aacMTHnbhSzT0Y3rZYA49xOT6HMJMGqMWx5IfVFA2DDNyBhPJaVBG8d2GbSSWTdVE42_ZL6y2yFdqvDXslal8v4PevFOZv5B1pE2VlWjW148qxQhnMk2v-XObb8GY9G8Rqy1wo_4058m4rLYILI/s3136/2023%2012-10%20CMO%20(17).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2816" data-original-width="3136" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbkU_HJQP8YqS-kuhjledGiHDlBueUdn5NxrXjbs0aacMTHnbhSzT0Y3rZYA49xOT6HMJMGqMWx5IfVFA2DDNyBhPJaVBG8d2GbSSWTdVE42_ZL6y2yFdqvDXslal8v4PevFOZv5B1pE2VlWjW148qxQhnMk2v-XObb8GY9G8Rqy1wo_4058m4rLYILI/s320/2023%2012-10%20CMO%20(17).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna's juvenile</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Tomorrow I'm going back to Balmorhea to try for a photo of the Red-throated Loon. There are a few other species that have been seen there recently that I'd like to add to my Reeves County list also.</div><div><br /></div><div>______________________________________________</div><div><br /></div><div>UPDATE: I think I know why the Costa's has been so elusive. When Jane got back home she processed her photos and concluded her "Costa's" photo was actually an Anna's. I looked at them and agreed. So I guess it was just a one day, or maybe one hour wonder!</div><div><br /></div>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-2395507012275884302023-12-07T20:19:00.000-08:002023-12-08T02:54:39.530-08:00Balmorhea birding<p>Not much to hold my interest around town, or at the oasis, recently, so this week I birded Lake Balmorhea... twice. The first time the wind raged and I didn't like that, but got a few nice birds anyway. Yesterday, I made sure to go on a windless day and it was a lot more fun. Highlights were my first photos of a <b>Pacific Loon.</b></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpN55B1WCkoNNLleYn8b8bg8YZuNxQjsrENY1M249lTwQk91NHp8gRdlyRL9vz8AnBeOxk7XyDdj3oTBFHWDjtj16fUJgF_LXHvF_WIYx05RQUgPSQSg8F2OYXkybMJ-4Vak2X5ABu741CVmoJUF6gRr29AiHgOJfsul1q0v0NMhE7RfmMqIVViw73tnM/s2960/2023%2012-6%20BAL%20(38).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2960" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpN55B1WCkoNNLleYn8b8bg8YZuNxQjsrENY1M249lTwQk91NHp8gRdlyRL9vz8AnBeOxk7XyDdj3oTBFHWDjtj16fUJgF_LXHvF_WIYx05RQUgPSQSg8F2OYXkybMJ-4Vak2X5ABu741CVmoJUF6gRr29AiHgOJfsul1q0v0NMhE7RfmMqIVViw73tnM/w400-h260/2023%2012-6%20BAL%20(38).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Also saw a lifer Red-throated Loon. Only because another birder there let me see it through his scope. Too far away for me to get a diagnostic look at otherwise. And no photo, alas!</p><p><br /></p><p>Yesterday I took photos of as many of the gulls there as I could. I knew Ring-billed and Bonaparte's were the only gull species being reported there recently, so when I saw a different looking gull amid the hundreds of photos I had taken there yesterday while trying to sort out the loon pics, etc., I looked through my Sibley guide at every gull, as in g-u-l-l. Not finding it and eager to go through all my photos to make an ebird report, I decided it must be an aberrant Bonaparte's (without giving it any focused thought) and submitted it to ebird as such. Not long afterwards, I got an email from the reviewer that it was a <b>Black-legged</b> <b>Kittiwake.</b> I guess, technically that's a gull too, but it didn't occur to me to look in "Kittiwakes." I'm not too bright sometimes. Like the Pacific Loon, I had seen the Black-legged Kittiwake once before a couple of years ago. (To see my better photo from then you can do a blog search for that species). The one I got yesterday is terrible as I had to take it from way across the lake almost. At least it was IDable.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcp0q3ExLnnpgSkCNf8I2ey9kaftlqy3zmCkAy37Y1JfT8AAl38xHvYElUudTJHdxjpl6HEpWCofnGTsxlQR4_7-6K-AclaavL0YpBT1_xfpaDwSP8jqDXmQpyBC-bQYeqGamuFvtjILXRouXGqsbmzGVEYdu4XC9lUnTHebypz2I84rg8mnZA7dIFWIQ/s1128/2023%2012-6%20BAL%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1128" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcp0q3ExLnnpgSkCNf8I2ey9kaftlqy3zmCkAy37Y1JfT8AAl38xHvYElUudTJHdxjpl6HEpWCofnGTsxlQR4_7-6K-AclaavL0YpBT1_xfpaDwSP8jqDXmQpyBC-bQYeqGamuFvtjILXRouXGqsbmzGVEYdu4XC9lUnTHebypz2I84rg8mnZA7dIFWIQ/w400-h278/2023%2012-6%20BAL%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also from yesterday is this pair of<b> Common Loons</b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWxe7963e1cpWKKZB0RxqHSK5m522e6RD-viIThFOm55hrwbr9gLtD8TS8BV_XW2CMCLIuIRrOdogEFBNUG_zzM2dt6-XLz6fD2Gu7dMJix22Y3qaDWA2v1nMtaFZ8fm5hpTUIPKqhnLD78JuMUe_WmgT81zGQzw9so5hHc8IH29ZhjNX4t7PM5W50i8/s1860/2023%2012-6%20BAL%20(55).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="1860" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWxe7963e1cpWKKZB0RxqHSK5m522e6RD-viIThFOm55hrwbr9gLtD8TS8BV_XW2CMCLIuIRrOdogEFBNUG_zzM2dt6-XLz6fD2Gu7dMJix22Y3qaDWA2v1nMtaFZ8fm5hpTUIPKqhnLD78JuMUe_WmgT81zGQzw9so5hHc8IH29ZhjNX4t7PM5W50i8/w400-h356/2023%2012-6%20BAL%20(55).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Had a hybrid <b>Northern Flicker </b>(Red-shafted x Yellow-shafted) too. The sharp reviewer noticed the red patch on the back of the head, typical of a Yellow-shafted. While I didn't figure that out either, in my defense, I took a lot of photos of it because it didn't look quite right for a Red-shafted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFD7UICK0L25shZd40i6f01_lTT8vp1izIS04E0g6oWQ-Eu-pq3ssYy5JN0TO-v2j235OHKiwyIt6dBZ9_uE1W3kPFBip-zFUzZDKP5rj1D88AFArBakgjOcsBemuIk086dHRGPCMv0g82zWuLRX2oBDcJosgAuekwK80Q5tBvuriAecgJWrUaQyCDyM/s2092/2023%2012-6%20BAL%20(14).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2092" data-original-width="2052" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFD7UICK0L25shZd40i6f01_lTT8vp1izIS04E0g6oWQ-Eu-pq3ssYy5JN0TO-v2j235OHKiwyIt6dBZ9_uE1W3kPFBip-zFUzZDKP5rj1D88AFArBakgjOcsBemuIk086dHRGPCMv0g82zWuLRX2oBDcJosgAuekwK80Q5tBvuriAecgJWrUaQyCDyM/w393-h400/2023%2012-6%20BAL%20(14).JPG" width="393" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Now I see that it has the red malar of a Red-shafted, and the red nape patch of a Yellow-shafted. Balmorhea is always overwhelming to me. It had been two years since I'd been there. If I went more often it would get easier. It seems so far to drive, yet it's about the same time and distance as from Alpine to the oasis. Hoping to go again soon, like next Tuesday.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-45157048711120266842023-11-30T20:36:00.000-08:002023-12-07T21:05:19.092-08:00Oasis Costa's Hummingbird<p>Yesterday afternoon a birder friend, Pat Dwyer, visited the oasis and took lots of photos. He didn't have time to process his photos until this afternoon. One of the hummingbirds he photographed was ID'd by his Merlin app as a Costa's. So this afternoon he sent me a couple of the photos, asking my help in IDing it. It looked good for a Costa's to me, so I sent the photos to expert Kelly Bryan. He confirmed the ID. Naturally, I rushed down here, but didn't arrive until 5 PM. Although I watched the feeders until 6 PM, no <b>Costa's </b>showed up. Gonna try again tomorrow. Here's one of Pat's photos of the bird.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQz3a8UHmtwpNeUWiiLdZ4X1ACSuDYWsSAr-L-yo8Ulympg58YOENZQJxNuNhn7iUqXMZOdaTn8QkhOyN6byX7zqrkaz6OgxwHmF_4-UUSE4hcnQrukAVkJwMMBF82XaltzZt5jctRbUfTYqNy1pMI37_rA9Fmt7J03Kb4Du7SZaivXaaeMDO0lNSEnkI/s586/IMG_0149.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="586" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQz3a8UHmtwpNeUWiiLdZ4X1ACSuDYWsSAr-L-yo8Ulympg58YOENZQJxNuNhn7iUqXMZOdaTn8QkhOyN6byX7zqrkaz6OgxwHmF_4-UUSE4hcnQrukAVkJwMMBF82XaltzZt5jctRbUfTYqNy1pMI37_rA9Fmt7J03Kb4Du7SZaivXaaeMDO0lNSEnkI/w400-h381/IMG_0149.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Meanwhile, I still have a juvenile <b>Allen's</b> in Alpine. This photo from today.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7TqUZz-jyb8CfPedmVQJHFeoN-lbb0u3ma_KZ2hMitstrv4nQsWdBGhyXJK4hWfDe2AfVqfEKKSiLlAsQjZoBrwovbXN2wOOB_jo2Sf-_X9JBeONMtCOdg8DDEaX6nDcdsNYnOTCHifEP1VSeHvLK8f9I7s599y2OKj3gO9JOp1mefXsVGNqB2pUfFM/s2112/2023%2011-30%20ALP%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2112" data-original-width="1980" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7TqUZz-jyb8CfPedmVQJHFeoN-lbb0u3ma_KZ2hMitstrv4nQsWdBGhyXJK4hWfDe2AfVqfEKKSiLlAsQjZoBrwovbXN2wOOB_jo2Sf-_X9JBeONMtCOdg8DDEaX6nDcdsNYnOTCHifEP1VSeHvLK8f9I7s599y2OKj3gO9JOp1mefXsVGNqB2pUfFM/w375-h400/2023%2011-30%20ALP%20(2).JPG" width="375" /></a></div><br /><p>Seeing a few other nice birds lately too. Yesterday I saw a flock of <b>Red Crossbills</b> in Alpine, and today I watched a <b>Zone-tailed Hawk</b> soaring all over the town.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPymH6CC_jSYL6ZORskV3_3VH689zBHBlHeasgH_YtVr5vsaPqe3Q2zyEryrLV_XRRO6PzY4il7BlW-NXQbQJQKLlER1udDG5Gkd_IzBA5O5AfGERFVkPnSxohoUznvkiOMoTzh3I52Xv7g2YpPPSwW6thHs4yPbjt2Gchm1r6i4qQrwsng8oJCBY_FsE/s767/2023%2011-29%20ALP.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="767" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPymH6CC_jSYL6ZORskV3_3VH689zBHBlHeasgH_YtVr5vsaPqe3Q2zyEryrLV_XRRO6PzY4il7BlW-NXQbQJQKLlER1udDG5Gkd_IzBA5O5AfGERFVkPnSxohoUznvkiOMoTzh3I52Xv7g2YpPPSwW6thHs4yPbjt2Gchm1r6i4qQrwsng8oJCBY_FsE/w400-h400/2023%2011-29%20ALP.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5OToLVv_DWgZz7Nndp0sQZ-Dy0Haf-E8bEHJcdxSbEY6Rsexd6NROhQ4F165vJ7uWtEhQb1f_ykmBi2EiGSVOGS7aav1z0Wmu069PbwdatPngLBC2AGS-i56tsZpugb3WeMnj4WtMSHX8sDc8kLQao11ONn90y48Fuwp88lsJv8Kd2xTKSWwOoaxF1A/s1272/2023%2011-30%20ALP.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1272" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5OToLVv_DWgZz7Nndp0sQZ-Dy0Haf-E8bEHJcdxSbEY6Rsexd6NROhQ4F165vJ7uWtEhQb1f_ykmBi2EiGSVOGS7aav1z0Wmu069PbwdatPngLBC2AGS-i56tsZpugb3WeMnj4WtMSHX8sDc8kLQao11ONn90y48Fuwp88lsJv8Kd2xTKSWwOoaxF1A/w400-h323/2023%2011-30%20ALP.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>____________________________________</p><p><br /></p><p>UPDATE: The Costa's was never seen again!</p><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-15058294141038080002023-11-26T20:06:00.000-08:002023-11-27T17:46:03.686-08:00Late Lucifer<p>Having a male <b>Lucifer Hummingbird</b> this late in the year made me wonder how unusual that is. So I looked it up in the publication Kelly Bryan authored after finishing his banding project, which included the oasis for 8 years (2008-2016). We learned so much about the status of Lucifers in those "good ole days."</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OB51SmOpvZBkohkj0X9sTp0ZUQcIRF7oFWH1H_oAMfK_Z1f0Yx6a5kSFlodZwg_ELL2fhWfy14GlarRPCyAM6O8QJ4vRCBzXnDdcvocr5AfWsayBfTzoXKpNe-ikZuPPqMh5WIBghAp5cbOa8itkdb9vQOpq68gHLa7JiJRwy8F1b8_0f_ijSTOtDOU/s3124/2023%2011-26%20CMO%20(11).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2584" data-original-width="3124" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OB51SmOpvZBkohkj0X9sTp0ZUQcIRF7oFWH1H_oAMfK_Z1f0Yx6a5kSFlodZwg_ELL2fhWfy14GlarRPCyAM6O8QJ4vRCBzXnDdcvocr5AfWsayBfTzoXKpNe-ikZuPPqMh5WIBghAp5cbOa8itkdb9vQOpq68gHLa7JiJRwy8F1b8_0f_ijSTOtDOU/w400-h331/2023%2011-26%20CMO%20(11).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">November 26, 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><p>What I learned from the publication is that there were a couple of late Lucifer males. One was Dec 9, 2013 in Study Butte, and the other Dec 2-12, 2015 in that general area also. (The former was even a first US winter record.) I already knew none had been seen as far north as the oasis this late in the year.</p><p><br /></p><p>The recent late fall rain left the "Dragonfly Pond" the greenest it's ever been.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSJPQwmmN_DaXEEf838Cq-U-cSU7lk5eoYlsvKgFXOIt1tGIuBzFLT7CVrfAptfQe9tRP9yLz45jrESbC-9izuyOVAQvrY7O0cg2veTUX5kJoGLsDaA1FTaWNFE437nKFSGdX6ovcPa0LBUlK1SVuLulO8eU1JkOwT5OTwOwkqtDbFGqRstGC7_CCqZo/s4808/2023%2011-26%20CMO%20(5).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4808" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSJPQwmmN_DaXEEf838Cq-U-cSU7lk5eoYlsvKgFXOIt1tGIuBzFLT7CVrfAptfQe9tRP9yLz45jrESbC-9izuyOVAQvrY7O0cg2veTUX5kJoGLsDaA1FTaWNFE437nKFSGdX6ovcPa0LBUlK1SVuLulO8eU1JkOwT5OTwOwkqtDbFGqRstGC7_CCqZo/w400-h255/2023%2011-26%20CMO%20(5).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>There are also a couple of <b>Anna's Hummingbirds</b> and a Rufous at the oasis.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4W0YlNs-VcjHobA6CSnJ4ngmkrn6gQ6RqXJ9r-2WLWOwiKwC7GDwcECWW2eBeVVidto8nAo6bNB8KJCA3iXPKSQmjdmU7TkQX9qn2XVo2sKOuVuajP0CEZ2QxK3uvFLK2Ud936ZMsE6iKuvrSHnDmYzN5c8W6Y4Vbzzs5LDj-7-wlwgCw0jfYpBHE2c/s1844/2023%2011-26%20CMO%20(9).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1740" data-original-width="1844" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4W0YlNs-VcjHobA6CSnJ4ngmkrn6gQ6RqXJ9r-2WLWOwiKwC7GDwcECWW2eBeVVidto8nAo6bNB8KJCA3iXPKSQmjdmU7TkQX9qn2XVo2sKOuVuajP0CEZ2QxK3uvFLK2Ud936ZMsE6iKuvrSHnDmYzN5c8W6Y4Vbzzs5LDj-7-wlwgCw0jfYpBHE2c/w400-h378/2023%2011-26%20CMO%20(9).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Anna's</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In town I have an <b>Allen's Hummingbird,</b> but it only shows up once or twice a day when the light isn't good for photos. I have to use too long a shutter speed. He seems noticeably smaller, although fatter, than the Rufous sharing a feeder with him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SJY-wstKvBWdB84wyWlB0JBw3Nt0kXO49vLJoHUpTdIJlPFxsEjg2TmgI-988BOfbmX7mcYWQSd1wyTOYC021BlBKbahGlfkkUZqvjqB6EB-mrixYtxsEoDGueAHNIdHNoemXFp7cHeLY4QuhMVmQ4vDgnWOfuu3hamtrrrlzrnxlTsQ7CfSLhGbDck/s4424/DSC07475.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2532" data-original-width="4424" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SJY-wstKvBWdB84wyWlB0JBw3Nt0kXO49vLJoHUpTdIJlPFxsEjg2TmgI-988BOfbmX7mcYWQSd1wyTOYC021BlBKbahGlfkkUZqvjqB6EB-mrixYtxsEoDGueAHNIdHNoemXFp7cHeLY4QuhMVmQ4vDgnWOfuu3hamtrrrlzrnxlTsQ7CfSLhGbDck/w400-h229/DSC07475.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3892139825447599380.post-17765778627150669942023-11-20T14:35:00.000-08:002023-11-20T18:50:39.541-08:00Sunny Glen<p> Lovely weather today so I wanted to bird somewhere, but not drive a long way. Decided to try Sunny Glen. It's just west of Alpine a mile or two. I couldn't believe all the juniper berries dripping from the trees. Makes me think some good stuff might show up this winter. Like Lewis's Woodpeckers, Red Crossbills and who knows what else. Already a large flock of crossbills showed up in the Davis Mountains. Here's Mike Gray's photo of some of the flock. Exciting!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1H-1LaJAnla1ULZV2KoUkwnLyRgKtwqo2vj5legwPxulWrck-uCSALnSOibLgD9PQwbiXW_hp7Y0URSyOc3DrS6P6P2-U21Eg9REKFdNiIn3khqs64FBpvCBRSuGnWpckHn05Om5_Z94duhLzp8Voz8Ztu5ynDm6ckobJK9LEvMQT9xJNBD7C7WDkdxg/s4026/Z91_1638-Enhanced-NR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3050" data-original-width="4026" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1H-1LaJAnla1ULZV2KoUkwnLyRgKtwqo2vj5legwPxulWrck-uCSALnSOibLgD9PQwbiXW_hp7Y0URSyOc3DrS6P6P2-U21Eg9REKFdNiIn3khqs64FBpvCBRSuGnWpckHn05Om5_Z94duhLzp8Voz8Ztu5ynDm6ckobJK9LEvMQT9xJNBD7C7WDkdxg/w400-h303/Z91_1638-Enhanced-NR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>And here's a sampling of juniper berries from Sunny Glen. I'm not sure what species they are.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8M9oz4FI-3JvM0Z1kye3vaLJdrMs2I-DMnWFtUHRBIR3c3zMZDZKwU8Tyvbgn67n4BueGmj7FBh0tDJIiEwEdB3nmUEutaPSk-NZZufdFG0uM-xht08yK02wLl1RuPVnpfATpIvkoG0uFtswDRXDjadU8cxgRKYdfiB1ikIgLcpIAvZbWbLC9x7F2UpY/s5472/2023%2011-20%20SG%20(15).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8M9oz4FI-3JvM0Z1kye3vaLJdrMs2I-DMnWFtUHRBIR3c3zMZDZKwU8Tyvbgn67n4BueGmj7FBh0tDJIiEwEdB3nmUEutaPSk-NZZufdFG0uM-xht08yK02wLl1RuPVnpfATpIvkoG0uFtswDRXDjadU8cxgRKYdfiB1ikIgLcpIAvZbWbLC9x7F2UpY/w400-h266/2023%2011-20%20SG%20(15).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I didn't get out of my vehicle, just drove slowly along the roads there. Saw lots of Phainopeplas, and other birds eating the berries. Here's a <b>Canyon Towhee</b> with a berry. Terrible photo taken from inside my vehicle. Afraid if I got out I'd flush it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsPovCHHsrVuMy80KeLBg_YaqUOVpNGK0nacGzClRCg66mGfzDOeTuPeUwPjFvay4eLQHr51EAhVDO1e47RSjAc3pjnQQYF_LbMbzCU5V3Gy_7a45h10sRdWB1cr8O4hc0eB2W-VZMqp2b8wN2P3XcHXO6vQbwXnMEHCqSXG_exRmH-SNvh0crxr9iRQ/s1472/2023%2011-20%20SG%20(8).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="1472" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsPovCHHsrVuMy80KeLBg_YaqUOVpNGK0nacGzClRCg66mGfzDOeTuPeUwPjFvay4eLQHr51EAhVDO1e47RSjAc3pjnQQYF_LbMbzCU5V3Gy_7a45h10sRdWB1cr8O4hc0eB2W-VZMqp2b8wN2P3XcHXO6vQbwXnMEHCqSXG_exRmH-SNvh0crxr9iRQ/w400-h365/2023%2011-20%20SG%20(8).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;">Here's a pair of <b>Phainopeplas,</b> maybe guarding their berry territory.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXS3u4BfXZSYyAkGTc11AUSiJ_Ndy8ykF6Xd3fPR9bXt8YgE6j_gRPssdc669X3A9iNymvJFtmkVcO98VFHshOl7BPLYSX5ioeLxH-mrQjjhJHc2RIu47dSvDbDSE_aBDBhld6M9dmm4atcHnyte66mYKveaJu7XsGj062LmzW8gySEgy9l62QinedQ_Y/s5188/2023%2011-20%20SG%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2476" data-original-width="5188" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXS3u4BfXZSYyAkGTc11AUSiJ_Ndy8ykF6Xd3fPR9bXt8YgE6j_gRPssdc669X3A9iNymvJFtmkVcO98VFHshOl7BPLYSX5ioeLxH-mrQjjhJHc2RIu47dSvDbDSE_aBDBhld6M9dmm4atcHnyte66mYKveaJu7XsGj062LmzW8gySEgy9l62QinedQ_Y/w400-h191/2023%2011-20%20SG%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I love <b>Sage Thrashers</b> too. I'm sure they're loving the bounty of berries.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghVL5D-2SXuAHFFTu7lfY2fCUC438j2N8W9BqQ-6b6AcJWkD-ozS4mEnHO6080W6izfczP3K6PIjMH8iNUFiCTEQd9AgGL7JKz1hTx1bKrvj7AH88Le3ABvYAygXfc5CAYVZCKG3lF4l_c-CUsC8biXA1B6cHGN1D84zlYJCn8NOHdiSEvWzGUCeB0sk/s2116/2023%2011-20%20SG%20(12).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2116" data-original-width="2092" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghVL5D-2SXuAHFFTu7lfY2fCUC438j2N8W9BqQ-6b6AcJWkD-ozS4mEnHO6080W6izfczP3K6PIjMH8iNUFiCTEQd9AgGL7JKz1hTx1bKrvj7AH88Le3ABvYAygXfc5CAYVZCKG3lF4l_c-CUsC8biXA1B6cHGN1D84zlYJCn8NOHdiSEvWzGUCeB0sk/w395-h400/2023%2011-20%20SG%20(12).JPG" width="395" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My one sister and her daughter are finding lots of interesting flowers blooming near the oasis, and yesterday a birder saw a Lucifer Hummingbird still at the oasis. I'm going down tomorrow and sure would love to see one there.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeKj_HCFowak3KSt9ULClJej5qjaZzTdK4dUoEaLcYqba78hTKiaf8iZ869qHGG3w_hpM9ylIznJ9jWP4Oe4xbkYtadQyCOpDHr_Z9uWKGRurm5ICFGxzwvZMIoC84EHJOLy3qR_90OviOlT2ffo69kHUToMO-54lgoDrS8cWqCf-JLIxb6rxbFzFuI0/s2360/2023%2011-18%20Cyphomeris%20gypsophiloides.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="2188" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeKj_HCFowak3KSt9ULClJej5qjaZzTdK4dUoEaLcYqba78hTKiaf8iZ869qHGG3w_hpM9ylIznJ9jWP4Oe4xbkYtadQyCOpDHr_Z9uWKGRurm5ICFGxzwvZMIoC84EHJOLy3qR_90OviOlT2ffo69kHUToMO-54lgoDrS8cWqCf-JLIxb6rxbFzFuI0/w371-h400/2023%2011-18%20Cyphomeris%20gypsophiloides.jpg" width="371" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Cyphomeris</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My other sister captured this bear video on her trail cam. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzxDF53QszgWZzxDAxcgJZf2TvV3zExa_6wzZzMTYX6ZbgJY5ax3nhlHOdWxAhAGZ2APeR0m5jdM5O0C8z85Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Things are "hopping!" Keeping us all on our toes. In Alpine, I documented five hummingbirds so far today of four species (Rufous, Broad-tailed, Allen's, & Anna's).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div>Carolyn Ohl-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06031703938914548677noreply@blogger.com5