Lucifer Hummingbird behavior

Through the years, I've noticed that when the first male Lucifer first arrives, he buzzes right up to me, all hyper. That first flurry of activity seems like he's had a long hard trip and is excited to be back. He usually settles down in a day or two, per my observation (hopefully, not anthropomorphized). And thereafter usually doesn't buzz me like that.

So today I spent most of the morning watching and waiting. Frequent feeder visits by a female Black-chinned, but no Lucifer. 

Shortly after lunch time, a birder showed up. The first thing he asked me was if Lucifers were back yet. I hardly had the "no" out of my mouth when a male Lucifer buzzed us. Maybe because of the birder's orange cap. Maybe so, maybe not. That behavior felt so normal that I doubt the hat caused it. It happened fast, but I was aware that the bird had just streaked in from the south. I didn't get a decent photo. Not only was he bouncing all over the place like an excited puppy, but I was really busy. This is all I got. They're at their most beautiful when they first show up, though you can't tell it from my photo. Photographers should take note though.

I can't believe that basically the only thing I accomplished today was to get about 35 gallons (7 five-gallon buckets) of dried silt out of the bottom of the stucco tank. About 80-100 gallons more to go. I actually did take a photo of it, but accidentally deleted it.😣

My son showed up with the new drip tank stand that he had spent the last two days making. 

The Orange-capped birder (David Mehlman) provided welcome assistance. They got the old one carried off (right side of above photo), and got the new one installed. I had to come to town before the tank got placed on top of the stand, as Lee wanted to paint the planks he has planned to place under the tank. Next time I'm down there, I'll take pictures. Maybe I'll even paint the tank another coat. I feel more pressure to get the stucco tank patched though, so may focus on that. Doubt I'll have the energy to do both.

UPDATE: Lee sent me photos of what he did after I left for town. The next photos I'll take of the tank will be after I paint it again, which should be the final appearance.

Son to the rescue again

The last two days Lee has been slaving away at constructing a new tank stand for my drip tank. It may be every bit as heavy as the raised bench he made recently. I feel really guilty. He's getting farther behind on his business commitments. Totally overloaded.

Not the final color

And here again is the tank that'll go atop it. I think I'll paint it a lighter color to help keep the water cooler, and hopefully free of algae. With all the paint I've put on it, it's nearly opaque. Not quitting until it is. I could have bought a new opaque beige tank for around $600, but didn't have the money. Even this paint was over $60 for a gallon.

As you may recall, the stand will replace this one that wasn't sturdy enough, didn't fit the tank, and required me to climb a ladder a lot. The new one is two feet shorter, which will make a lot of difference. I'll be able to adjust the drip without climbing a ladder.

I'm so excited that we're going to the oasis tomorrow to set this all up. And while I'm there, I plan to work some more on cleaning out the stucco tank. Just depends on how much abuse my body can take. Getting close to finishing. Then a few hours of patching, and it should be good to go when rainy season arrives.

Surely I'll see a Lucifer Hummingbird tomorrow. And Elf Owls are due to start arriving too.

Plugging along

Came to the oasis this morning. Without a helper! How soon I get spoiled! Had my usual lengthy to-do list. My first trip up the big hill since Deirdre and I worked on it. It's definitely improved, but people not familiar with the road might still find it daunting.

Spent most of the day painting. Another coat to the drip tank and putting water sealer on four of my five wooden benches (ran out of sealer on the fifth). Also painted the bench my son raised, to better match the blind and "grandstand," as Deidre called it.

I did see a hummingbird, as expected, but not the Lucifer I expected. This one turned out to be an Anna's, which is good for this time of year. It didn't hang around long. Lucifers have never arrived this late before.

Identifying White-crowned Sparrow subspecies is fraught with frustration too. Here's one that I think is a Z. oriantha subspecies, characterized by black lore and darker bill.

However, this next picture is the same bird where the bill looks the same color as the Z. gambelii subspecies. Following photo is of a Z. gambelii with the same color bill. Go figure!

 Oh, well. I'll let the experts deal with it. Gotta rest up for another grueling day tomorrow.

Continuing oasis progress

Yesterday Deirdre and I worked a while on the rocks at the steepest part of the big hill. I think we made it less daunting, and a smoother ascent, so I'm happy about that. We also coated the water drip tank in an attempt to make it more algae-proof. Still needs another coat.

Before it's put back on its stand, my son is going to reconfigure the stand to make it more user-friendly and stronger. Right now the welds don't look strong enough for the weight, plus I had to continually climb a ladder to check the water level and fill it. I like that it'll have a lower profile too. All good! 

Ultimately, I'll spray paint it green again like I had before. Here's the only photo I can find of it green, but gives you the idea.

Can't wait to get back to the oasis and to see the Lucifers that I'm sure are starting to arrive now.

CMO work day

My friend and helper, Deidre, and I went to the oasis today to get some work done on a couple of my endless projects. We started with burning some pesky road boulders with a burner torch. Then she wielded the sledgehammer to break the rocks down to where they're not such jolts driving into the oasis.

Heating the rock

I took a turn at it

After hammering and picking it out

It was a lot of work. After doing 2 or 3 we cleaned some more silt out of the stucco tank. Pretty exhausted by noon. In the afternoon we watered the trees and came back to town. Hope to get some more projects done soon.

Best seat in the house

 

I'm so thrilled to have the awesome raised bench installed. Can't wait to share it with birders. Lots of photos coming this spring showing groups enjoying it.  Now all we lack are the birds.

Knowing that the step will be a potential hiding place for snakes, I plan to fill below it with flat rocks. I think that'll help, and if one does get in there, it won't be able to get into a striking position. Everything is always a work in progress!

My new word

From time to time I make up new words. Today I came up with the word "Storpor." It signifies my state in the winter time. Kind of a cross between a stupor and torpor. I'm not as dormant as torpor, but I'm not much more functional than a stupor. But now I'm coming out of my winter storpor and it feels so good!

My son primed and painted the new viewing stand today, then the plan is to take it to the oasis tomorrow. So excited! I'll post pics as soon as it gets the seats attached.

That bar attached between the step up and the seat is a footrest for my viewing comfort. I anticipate spending many an hour on my perch. The backrest is more comfortable without a board on it. 

Today I got a better photo of the Northern Shoveler that's been hanging out in our ponds here in Alpine.

Then I went to Musquz Creek/Lake to see if there was any interesting activity there. Not much, but I did get a slightly better photo of a Lesser Scaup than I had previously. Hard to do better when they're always so far away.

So I'm hanging in here. Hard to believe Lucifers will be here in a week or so.

Exciting projects in progress

Ever since the new viewing blind was completed I was aware that people sitting in the back row of the blind couldn't see the birds at the water feature and feeding on the ground under the seed feeder. It bothered me a lot. So I designed a raised bench to install back there. Left over funds from the grant money paid for the material. My son spent all day (over 12 hours) cutting, welding, and such. It's going to be so awesome! We couldn't have afforded to hire the work done. All oasis-loving volunteer labor! (It'll be fastened to the blind supports, so no way will it be able to tip over.)

Right now our biggest challenge is to get it down to the oasis. It's so heavy, one man can't lift one end of it.  After we get it in place, then we'll put a wood seat and wood step on it. I'm super excited to get this added to the viewing space.

Soon now we're going to whittle down the worst boulders in the road. And then we're going to clean out the rest of the silt from the stucco tank and I'll finish sealing it. Hoping for a wonderful spring migration. Lucifer Hummingbirds are two weeks away!

Alpine time

My son's workshop is coming along. I think it looks lovely and has lots of character. (He and I are both artists, of course.) 

Putting up the last panel

Saw a different duck on the pond today. I think it's an immature male Mallard.

Cold to the core

Went to the oasis yesterday afternoon and got so bone chilled that by 6:30 PM I turned my electric blanket on high and went to bed. Even then it took me two hours to feel comfortably warm. I have an electric space heater in my cabin but once these rock walls get cooled down, it takes forever to warm them up.

This morning it was 19,° so I bundled up. Before I could get chilled the sun warmed me up and I was soon out of my down jacket with no problem. I just can't subject myself to the amount of cold I did when I was younger. After watering the trees I came to town. Tired but I'm sure I'll be fine in the morning. 

Had a Green-winged Teal in the big tank this morning but it departed when I got down into the tank to hook up my pump. For me, spring is less than three weeks away and I cannot wait.

While watering, I noticed that the Mexican Pinyons are putting on new candles, but the Papershell Pinyons aren't. I don't know if that's because the former are more suitable for my habitat or it's just a matter of different species do it at different times or under different circumstances. They both seem healthy though.

Mexican Pinyon

Papershell Pinyon