Counting the days til spring

Finally got a couple of decent days. I watered my trees (after the hoses thawed out). Nothing interesting to photograph, but when I got back to Alpine I thought this Great Blue Heron worthy of a few shots as it perched at the top of the tallest tree around.

Spring is just around the corner. Getting ready planting various seeds and these cuttings from a Pomegranate tree. That would be great if I could grow them and I don't know why I couldn't. As you can see I'm running out of indoor space to keep the pots. I'll take these to CMO in a couple of days where I have more room.

CMO's tiny pleasures

Finally had a decent day, so I came to the oasis. I was afraid after sitting around for so long I'd be too out of shape to work, but once I got my adrenalin going, I was good to go.

Discovered about 10 tiny Standing Cypress sprouts coming up in my flower beds, to my delight. I'll refrain from posting pics of all of them. Standing Cypress flowers make lovely red blooms, but only bloom the second year. So these won't bloom until next year.

I felt like I have enough water stored that I can water the reeds in the wildlife pond occasionally. A real luxury.

Here's some mistletoe that seem to have grown on catclaw acacia. I don't think it normally does, but this bush is next to a water feature. I imagine birds perch on the acacia bush while coming in to water, thus spreading the seeds. Especially Phainopeplas. Exciting to me. For the record, mistletoe has never killed any of my trees, even during the drought of 2011, and it is evergreen. And I do love Phainopeplas.

Here's how I usually observe mistletoe. This one is on Netleaf Hackberry.

A little outdoor time

I left Alpine this morning for the oasis. By the size of just one of the brush piles at just one of the drop-off sites in town it would appear that there won't be much greenery left in town this year. But I suspect it won't be that noticeable even though there's probably way more brush still in yards that hasn't been cleaned up yet (from the ice storm a week ago).

It wasn't comfortable outdoors at the oasis, but with my big lens back in my possession, I finally managed to snap a couple of quick documentary shots of the overwintering Brown Thrasher and Gray Catbird. Couldn't catch them out in the open so there are branches in front of them. Sometimes  you just have to take what you can get.

View from indoors

Cold outside but at least the wind stopped. Yesterday the wind raged as I was at the oasis unloading mulch and filling my feeders. Internet finally got restored there, but I had already left for Alpine when it happened.  It's unusual to see a Ladder-backed Woodpecker at the hummingbird feeders, but it does happen. I guess if they get desperate enough.

There are probably very few species that don't have a sweet tooth if they're hungry enough. Here's a House Finch partaking.

Some days I see this selasphorus species of hummingbird in Alpine. Maybe it's a potential Allen's too. I keep trying to get photos of the spread tail feathers to tell, but haven't been able to so far.

Today was..........different

We went banding at Lajitas expecting lots of Anna's Hummingbirds since I'd seen a bunch when I checked last week. But most of them had moved on. We did get a couple of unexpected Allen's to salvage the day.

Fourth trailer load hauled to dumping site

Back in town we hauled off the rest of our tree limbs from the ice storm, then I tried to photograph a hummer here that may also be an Allen's. But without a near perfect photo, or trapping it, can't be sure. Maybe Kelly will come try to catch it.

While I was camped in a chair outside trying to photograph it better, I heard a Western Scrub-Jay, which was a surprise. It perched briefly on top of a pine tree in the distance, and then was gone, so I didn't get good shots of it. At least enough to tell what it is.

After not having electricity since last Friday morning at the oasis, my sister called to tell me it's finally on at nearly 7 PM this evening. And my lens filter arrived in the mail today, so I'm back in business.

Aftermath

I forgot I had this picture on my other camera. It was taken right after that mesquite tree on the center right split in half. The big tree in front is that Elm tree.

Yesterday and today we spent the whole mornings cutting up the brush and hauling it off. Here's a closeup of that mesquite tree taken today just before dark.

I got some fresh Trifoliate Orange tree (Poncirus trifoliata) seeds and planted a few to see if they'd grow. Here's one that came up, so I need to plant some more. Just too tired after hauling all that brush. (I had to load and unload the trailer myself because my husband didn't feel good.) It remains to be seen if the Trifoliate Orange trees will survive our winters.

Tomorrow we're going to band hummingbirds at Lajitas. It should be fun. I think they are all Anna's, but we might get a surprise.

Major ice storm

Tree limbs are overloaded with ice and crashing everywhere, causing power outages. We went to CMO midday. No electricity there. Barely got back to Alpine before they closed the highway at the big hill.

We're losing some big limbs too. As I was walking out to feed the ducks this big limb crashed from the Elm tree near me. I screamed and jumped. Thought I had been shot.

Moments later the limb you see at the very right edge of the above photo crashed to the ground. It's from this mesquite tree (below). The new year is literally starting off with a bang!

There's a Bufflehead duck in this next photo (taken on our ponds in Alpine) if you can find it. The others are Mexican Ducks with our two domestic ducks.

Ducks on ice

The short while we were at the oasis to fill feeders I photographed my tanks. Traditionally I do it every January 1st but am a day late (but not water-short) this year.

UPDATE: Now it seems the electricity won't be restored before Tuesday, Jan 6, at the earliest. Lines down everywhere and a utility truck hit a pole between Alpine and Ft Stockton causing 30 poles to go down. I'm worried about the Mexican Amberwing dragonfly in my freezer at CMO. So far, we have power here in Alpine. Motorists are stranded all over the place.

Hummer confusion

The selasphorus photo I posted yesterday is either a Rufous female or an Allen's female, if I understood Kelly correctly. And the one today is a different selasphorus, also either Rufous or Allen's female. Kelly would need to take measurements or have better photos of the tail feathers than my photos are. I tried but it was cold outside.

Indoors sort of day

Today didn't inspire me to go outdoors, even with my restored big lens. But I did take this photo from indoors of my lone hummer sighting today. It's a Rufous (female or juvenile male) I presume. I suppose it's possible that it's an Allen's, but without Kelly trapping it I won't know, and that isn't going to happen. I dashed out occasionally to replace the frozen feeder.

I hope we all have a great new year!

Lajitas sort of day

This time I went before daylight hoping to hear or see the Yellow Rail that I heard there last week, but no luck. I did see several Black-throated Gray Warblers though. Always fun to see.

Also was surprised to see a Swamp Sparrow gathering nesting material (cattails). Does that mean spring is imminent?

Have been reunited with my big lens. When I checked the items that I sent off, I had forgotten to check filter, so it came back minus the filter. They're sending it, but meanwhile I have to be super careful if I use the lens.

Wish I would have had it for the above photos, but didn't.

Anna's Hummingbird numbers are increasing at Lajitas. Later than they arrived last winter, but better late than never. So far it's just the males, basically. Then the females should arrive in about a week when the males start leaving for California where they'll start breeding.

Someone photographed a Common Gallinule at Balmorhea State Park. That would be a lifer for me but the roads are supposed to be icy and what if I go and it's not there. Better not. (That is not a commitment so don't hold me to it.)

UPDATE: I posted the Swamp Sparrow photo on TEXBIRDS Facebook page and was informed that species doesn't nest in Texas. So apparently it's foraging on seed spores and taking them down to a more secure place to eat them.