Lifer butterfly species today

I went to help Kelly Bryan band hummers in S Brewster Co today. We banded 38 in all. To me the most interesting one was the one that had previously been captured 10 times and had that stuff wrapped around her leg. (See post of March 22) She's still fine and healthy today.

While watching the trap at a banding site near CMO I saw a butterfly that looked different. Got my camera and took photos. It's a common species where Brian lives in California, but a new species for me.... a West Coast Lady.

Another baby pic

I took so many pics today that I couldn't decide which to post. Will limit myself to this one that shows all four ducklings clearly.

I was surprised to read this on Wikipedia today. It certainly doesn't apply to this mother duck.

Most domestic ducks neglect their eggs and ducklings, and their eggs must be hatched under a broody hen or artificially.

Rushed trip to CMO

I knew I was overdue to go fill feeders and water. Good thing I did too. For the first time in years every single feeders was bone dry. Birders were right in front of me. I was horrified they'd come to photograph Lucifers and as they were setting up their tripods I discovered the empty feeders. I rushed around filling them, turning down offers of help. They said I needn't rush for their sakes. I assured them it was all for the hummers. The birders said there were about 8-10 present, which was about the same number as before the ocotillo bloomed, so I guess those are my nesting numbers, more or less.

But as soon as feeders were filled and I watered sparsely (rationing and all), I rushed back to Alpine to monitor the ducks. There were (and still are) four ducklings. My husband called me around 2 PM and said all four were in the water but the mother duck was still setting. By the time I got to town, she was in the water with the ducklings, so I waded out and removed the rest of the eggs from the nest. There were about a dozen, all rotten.

Mom sees male approaching

Mom warns male to stay away

Male comes and checks briefly on babies before retreating.. Mom found it easier last year to keep males away. She seems a bit overwhelmed at the moment, but this is just day one in the water. 

The male above (Mexican Mallard) mated with the momma, as did the domestic male, so either, or both, could be the father. Last year, the single duckling stuck real close to momma duck for the first week or more. This batch is obviously difficult to control. It probably won't get easier either.

Notice two of the ducklings back in the reeds.

Earlier at the oasis, I saw that my kumquat tree is full of blooms. It's still in a pot. Too afraid it might freeze in the winter. I lost my new Woolly Butterfly bush. Gonna plant another, I think.

And, as I expected, the migrant flycatchers are all over the oasis. I couldn't ID all, but I'm sure one is a Western Wood-pewee. A visitor got good pics of an empidinax. Hopefully, he's send me a copy so we can get it ID'd.

Alpine activity

It's very rare that I want to hang out in Alpine and not go to CMO, but with ducklings hatching, that's the case. However, if I don't go to CMO tomorrow, some of my potted plants may die, so I'm going. So far, I see two ducklings, not sure if more are hatched or going to hatch.* She hasn't gotten off the eggs yet.

And about the time I gave up on seeing any pewees this spring, one showed up in Alpine. I'll probably see some at CMO tomorrow too. I guess they're just coming late this year.

Western Wood-Pewee

UPDATE: Saw a third duckling. Wish I could take a peek under her and see what's going on. Seems a lot is.

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* You know how I love my ducklings. Last year one hatched, but only survived a couple of weeks before it was predated. Hopefully, enough will hatch this year that we'll end up with at least one.

Fun day in the park

I went birding (and butterflying) to Big Bend National Park today with my sister-in-law, Dale Ohl. We always have fun, but since they moved to E TX we haven't been able to do it as much. But they're planning on moving back to Alpine, so hopefully, this won't be an isolated event. I'm trying to ease her into an interest in butterflies. Meanwhile, I got 3 lifers today. This first one is an Acacia Skipper.

Next, is a Sleepy Duskywing. I didn't get a very satisfying photo of it. If I could have gotten more good photos, I'm sure I would have had more lifers. Oh, well, save some for the next time.

And this third one is an Azure, maybe a Southwestern. Brian called it a Spring Azure. Either way, it's my first Azure.

And the best bird we saw today, in my opinion, was a White-eyed Vireo, singing away at the sewage ponds in Chisos Basin at the park. I was lucky to even get this poor photo of it. It became the 313th species for my Brewster County list, if my count is correct. All in all, a very good day!

Pond-weed, and such

Migration didn't amount to much this year but that might be good for the birds. That could mean they didn't need the oasis. It's here for them when they do, though. And it might just be a late migration with more to come. The weather is so weird that I wouldn't blame the birds if they're in a state of confused panic. This morning it was 37° at the oasis, then it warmed up to 93° for the high today.

I halfheartedly removed some of the pond-weed roots from the tank, but it's such a hopeless task that I soon quit. It does make good mulch though. I'm sure I'll "harvest" more of it when the tank is drier.

I observed a couple of Aoudad on the slopes west of the oasis late this morning. It's not very often that they're seen, so I'm always thrilled, even though, technically, they're undesirable exotics.

The Whitethorn Acacia sure knows how to put on a good bloom.

A wedding walk in the park

I went to Big Bend National Park this morning to attend my daughter's Window view wedding.*

Then we all changed clothes and took a short hike. When we returned to our vehicles I had a warning ticket stuck to mine.

You notice it said Tequila bottle and not bottle of Tequila. ("Window TH" means Window Trail Head.) Everyone that knows me knows that I don't put my drinking water or hummingbird sugar water in plastic bottles for concern about the danger to health of phthalates present in plastic bottles.  I discussed this later with park personnel and apparently an open liquor bottle is banned, regardless of what it contains.** I'm surprised they even noticed it inside my pickup with the tinted windows and how it was positioned between the two front seats, but I would have hidden it if I had known it was banned. My husband keeps me supplied with endless Tequila bottles, so it seems the natural choice. Nothing I purchase at the grocery store comes in glass bottles. I wonder if I scrape the label off the bottle if it will still be classified as a liquor bottle. In the future I'll be sure it's well-hidden.

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* Isabel and John live in Austin, but have purchased a home in Dripping Springs. They'll be moving into that as soon as it's ready, hopefully in a week or so. 

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** I looked up the park rules. Here's what it states:

To help ensure your safety and the safety of other park visitors, the following areas are closed to the possession of any open alcoholic beverage container or consumption of any alcoholic beverage: All park-operated visitor centers and ranger stations, to include the areas within the structures and any related developed areas adjacent to the structure which are frequented by the visiting public. The areas within all concessions buildings open to the general public (with the exception of the Chisos Basin Lodge dining room), the stores, and parking areas immediately adjacent to the stores at Rio Grande Village, Castolon, the Basin, and Panther Junction. The Langford Hot Springs area, including the parking area, the loop trail, and the area from the mouth of Tornillo Creek to 1/2 mile downstream from the springs along the Rio Grande.

Life goes on at CMO

Hosted the VENT (Victor Emmanuel Nature Tours) group this morning. As always, a nice group of people, led by great guys, who are also great birders.

Migration is definitely progressing, although warblers remain scarce, even though the acacias are all in full bloom. And still not one empidonax flycatcher.

I witnessed a W Kingbird fly in from the south, stop for less than a minute and take off to the north. I think the birds are frantically rushing north now that the wind has finally stopped raging.

But my main attractions, that are difficult to find elsewhere, are the Lucifer Hummingbirds, and thankfully, they are sufficiently present. Brown-headed Cowbirds, that hadn't been present yesterday, were more than sufficiently present today, and didn't seem in any big hurry to get north.

An atypical looking birds today was this male Summer Tanager, probably a first spring bird.

And perhaps this male Indigo Bunting is partially leucistic.

Just a quick note

Lucifers are coming back to the feeders more often now. At least one pair is. The last several visitors have had no trouble adding it to their life list, so that crisis is over.

It's supposed to be real windy tomorrow, so it's just as well that I'm stuck in town.

I took this photo of mating Queen butterflies yesterday.

Crazy day at CMO

I went down to the oasis at my usual time, about 7:30 AM. A couple of birders were already there who had gotten directions from some other birder. With 3 other large groups scheduled for the day, one morning, one early afternoon, and another late afternoon, I knew it was going to be hectic. I just didn't know it was going to have a few harrowing moments on the road.

Parking lot full all day

The Lucifer Hummingbirds were real, real scarce at the feeders and it would be a lifer for most of the 34 birders who visited today. So when the first group was getting ready to leave without seeing it, I suggested we drive a ways down the road and walk to the lower dam where the male has set up his territory. It took longer than I thought it would because the Lucifer stayed at a distance and when it could be spotted at all, was impossible for all but a couple in the group of 16 to locate. So we kept trying, while the Lucifer disappeared, then reappeared somewhere else, etc. They finally gave up, and were getting into their two long large vans, when over the hill came 3 small cars right up to them. Well, the little cars couldn't conceivable back up the big hill, and the two long vans couldn't conceivably back around a narrow sharp corner in the road. So the vans had to get to the side as far as possible, and the 3 cars had to pass them. I thought sure they would end up stuck in the ditch. Don't know how they squeezed by. Whew, I don't want that to happen ever again!

I took that last group down to see the Lucifer on territory with much the same results. Only one in the group was able to spot it and get some distant photos of it. Some of the second group saw it at the feeders while the 3rd group was down the arroyo looking for it. Whatever works! Not that it was a plan or anything, but I figured if we left the feeders it would come in. A female Lucifer even made a quick visit to the feeders. Hopefully, the ocotillo will quit blooming and life can get back to normal.

An interesting robin showed up at the oasis today. I usually get the western variety of American Robin, but this one seems to be an eastern variety, though you can't really tell from this photo.

You can tell better how pale it is on this photo.