More paradise

Was amazed today to get a lifer Arizona Skipper. One I never expected, for sure.

Its host plant is Kidneywood (eysenhardtia), which I only have one of, and that one is not blooming. Good old verbena scored again. This skipper just reaches the United States along the southern border between southeast Arizona and the Big Bend of Texas. Kaufman calls it a "flashy" skipper and I must say, it's the most impressive skipper I've seen so far. So glad I got to see and photograph it. And right at my home too, which always makes it more special.

Rufous-crowned Sparrows aren't at all flashy and their song is pretty non-descript too. But by finding beauty in the mundane, it makes the flashy all the more breathtaking. This singing Rufous-crowned Sparrow isn't hard on the eyes and ears at all. It has a soothingness to it, that assures all is well with the world.

                                              

Just another day in paradise

I sat near the verbena patch today marveling at the beauty of Pipevine Swallowtails flitting over it. Way too fast for my camera but still just watching it was magical. They are so florescent at times.

While I was thus engaged, an equally florescent male Lucifer Hummingbird nectared on some Havard Penstemmon that had also sprung up in the verbena patch. Even knowing I couldn't possibly get a good photo of the action, I snapped away.  No one could resist that temptation.

So many real photographers visit the oasis and get awesome photos but sometimes it's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. They usually can't spend enough time here for that to happen, and with me, I have the opportunities but not the expertise. If I was younger I'd invest in better equipment and take classes, but it's just not feasible at this point in my life. My sinus infection isn't getting better, maybe even getting worse. So first chance I get I'm going to go back to the doctor.

Daily birders and a fair number of migrants. Got a shot at this Nashville Warbler someone pointed out to me. I didn't have any expectations on this shot since I was looking into the sun, so it did not disappoint.😕

Two years ago I took cuttings from a pomegranate tree in my son's Alpine yard. (See post of Jan. 17, 2015.) Finally had my first pomegranate bloom today. Quite a thrill, but my trees are still tiny. Like 2 ' to 3' tall.

UPDATE: Got a late evening thunderstorm with a small rain shower interspersed with a bit of hail.

Verbena mileage

I didn't plant the verbena patches, and I didn't water them, but I'm sure enjoying them while they last. Got another lifer butterfly today at the patch, a Pahaska Skipper. Brian has seen that species up on my mountain but I figured I'd never get to see one. Today one nectared as I took a break to watch the patch. Just wish that's all I had to do all day. I'm sure I'd rack up many more lifers.

The thrill of that Big Bend Scrub-Hairstreak on my third try still hasn't worn off. When Mac sent me this shot he took of me out searching it reminds me of the fun. I like the picture for that reason even though it makes me look fat what with my sweater tied around my waist and binoculars dangling. Oh, well. Could be worse, like if I really was fat.😎 I'm just old. With my bad knees and back I have to negotiate those rocky slopes very carefully.

March 24,  Big Bend National Park along the Old Ore Road

Rainbow Cactus today

Welcome relief!

Michael Gray and Cecilia Riley came today to help me out. Sure was great to get accomplished what we did, and me not feeling dead in the process. I had been obsessed with making a low water crossing on the road to my trail-head. It always washes out and has to have dirt put in to it to be passable. With this done, when it rains silt should accumulate behind the concrete and rock berm making it to where it won't need maintenance. This road gets used a lot more often now that there's a trail going up the mountain.

With my road being so bad, that probably shouldn't have been priority, but for me it was. If I put dirt on the road it washes off before anyone ever gets to even drive over it, so it seems hopeless. But this seems a permanent solution. I've made low water crossings at quite a few places on my road and they never require maintenance again. I like permanent fixes.

I appreciated Cecilia documenting the bird activity at the oasis. Michael and I even paused to take a few photos while we were working. It isn't every day an Osprey perches by my [earth-sheltered] house. First time that I know of, in fact. That nest box below the Osprey is one I made from a hollow log that I put up some years back. Elf Owls nest in it.

                                                                                                                              Saw my first Mourning Cloak butterfly for the year. I wasn't able to get a decent photo with its wings open. This is all I got. Bigger and prettier than I had remembered though.

Also we expanded the parking area some more today. With what I did the other day and what we did today it's double the size it was before. It once held four vehicles, now it should hold eight. I still need to coat the new area with gravel, but I can do it a little at a time. It shouldn't be a muddy problem until large groups come during the monsoon season.

Tired is a way of life

I work too hard. Can't seem to shake this infection, but if I just sit around it'll stress me, and stress is bad for my health too. No win situation amid a very busy time of year. I asked some friends to come help me tomorrow so that should alleviate some of the abuse to my body.

Today I had to water everything. I didn't get my town work done and down to the oasis before noon so I was tired when I started. Forced myself to do it though, while lugging my Canon. Didn't see much of interest. Here's a distant shot at a Common Whitetail. At least a few dragonflies are starting to show up. Sometimes the male Whitetail has a blue abdomen. I didn't photoshop this other than to crop it.

Too tired to do any more. We should get a lot accomplished tomorrow.

No place like home

Yesterday after climbing the mountain and taking a long nap I decided I simply had to expand the parking area. It has never been big enough and a real headache juggling vehicles when up to a dozen come at once. So I worked until dark taking out creosote bushes. When I could do no more I planned to start again at daylight and take out the final 3.

With my chain and pickup I had them out in no time. Much easier when you haven't climbed a mountain first. The small ones like these I threw into my pickup and hauled to a brush pile but the huge heavy ones I placed to the side temporarily to deal with when I have help.

Thereafter, I decided to go to Green Gulch in Big Bend National Park and look for butterflies. I keep reading about great lifers showing up there. On the way there I heard on the radio that the weather was going to be cool and very windy. Bummer. I scoured flowers all along Green Gulch, stopping at every place it was possible to pull over. Traffic was maddening, winds increasing, and without taking one single photo, I headed home. Tired and hungry by then, but decided to take a quick look at the oasis on my way to the house. I'm working on my April butterfly list, and there are quite a few species that I know are around but can't add until I see them.

To my surprise, after having only seen one butterfly in the park, there were butterflies galore at the oasis. I even got a lifer Zilpa Longtail. Brian had documented that species at CMO before, but I'd never seen, nor photographed, one. It was in constant motion causing much frustration. I was chiding myself for the unsatisfactory photos when I read that Kaufman, in his butterfly guide, called it "the zippy Zilpa." Made me feel a little better. 

                                   

I also saw a dragonfly but I think it was just emerging and I couldn't ID it.

And finally, a snout-less, American Snout.

Rain and flowers

CMO got over half an inch of nice soaking rain a few days ago. Yesterday my sister Ann and I went up the mountain looking for flowers. Found a couple of species we haven't identified yet. This one is very tiny.

Alpine bluebonnets

My husband loves flowers and is very good about encouraging bluebonnets. This year they are more extensive at our Alpine habitat than I've ever seen.

Oasis greening up

Everything is blooming and greening up nicely. The male Lucifer Hummingbirds are  really revved up to mate with the females. But the females are busy making nests and won't have anything to do with them.

photo by Mac Womack

Meanwhile, the impatient males are displaying to one another. It'll all work out, though, in the scheme of things.

I've struggled for years trying to raise a Woolly Butterfly bush (Buddleia marrubifolia). This one I've managed to keep alive so far. Here is my first butterfly photo on it, a Common Streaky-Skipper.

BIG BEND SCRUB-HAIRSTREAK!!! YES!!!

Third time is a charm. I went by myself  on March 11, then with Mac on the 24th, and again today, and finally got it. Wasn't even hard. Just got out of the vehicle carrying water, wearing hiking boots, prepared to give it my best effort and walk for hours if necessary. The terrain is rough but I was determined to stay the course, however difficult. Hadn't walked for more than two minutes when I saw a potential hairstreak land not far from me. Decided to photograph it just in case, and immediately could tell through my telephoto lens that it was the coveted Big Bend Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon solitario). Snapped an obscene number of shots of course. Brian thinks it's a female.

It was perching on lechugilla amid a large area scattered with blooming False Agave (Hechtia texensis), near the first pullout after turning onto the Old Ore Road.