Evaporation

The last couple of days at the oasis have been well over 100.° I've been hanging out in town with the evaporative cooling but tomorrow I have to go water the oasis with some of the rapidly evaporating water in my tanks. They filled last August and I'm trying to make the water last until the monsoons, if we get them. Scary time of year.

Mac emailed me some photos from today so I could share them here. This first one is of a Bell's Vireo starting a nest right above a walkway. I roped off the other vireo nest but I can't rope off the walkway. Maybe they feel safe near people.

Townsend's Warbler

Lazuli Bunting

Lark Bunting

Test video

I took a video today of a Lucifer Hummingbird just to test the process of taking one with my Lumix and putting it on youtube. When I get back to CMO, I plan to take a better one now that I have the bugs worked out. The audio didn't work on this one but I've got that fixed, I think.

https://youtu.be/r_F2snJH0L0

Gonna use a tripod too and try to get a better angle on the bird.

Here are a couple of pics by Mac taken at CMO this past week. I got behind on posting with all the migration fervor.

Green-tailed Towhee

Northern Mallard female

CMO often attracts Mexican Mallards but seldom a Northern Mallard. And the towhee is due to leave any day. They overwinter there most years.

Water rationing mode

Got up to 98° today and no matter how much I water everything is desperately dry. So, with water stores dwindling, it's time to ration. Starting today, I just watered enough to keep things alive.

I was in town this morning when Mac texted me there was a male Cassin's Finch at CMO. How I wanted one here for the TOS groups! And by the time I got down to the oasis today it wasn't to be seen. Bummer! But thankfully Mac documented it.

Prior to this spring, I hadn't documented one at the oasis. This male makes the fourth one seen here so far. The other 3 were females.

Still good migrants coming through. Here are a couple from today.

Dickcissel by Mac

And the Brown Thrasher is surprisingly still around.

By Mac Womack

New oasis species

Today was sunny and calm for a welcome change and birding was good. The acacias came through and hosted a Palm Warbler. Here's my disappointing shot of it taken after it plopped down below the acacias for a drink. Fortunately, other birders got great shots and when they share one with me, I'll post it here. Meanwhile, this is it.

Needless to say, I'm sick of my big heavy Canon that's killing my shoulders and taking worse photos than the TOS group today with their little light cameras. No longer tolerable. Gonna do something about it.

UPDATE: Here's a photo of the warbler by T Jay Adams. That's how mine should have looked.😞

Cold and windy

The TOS group arrived before 8 AM to cold and wind. Not good for birding because insects aren't active for warblers to feed on. The Cassin's Finch is still around, and all got good looks at Lucifer Hummingbirds and Varied Buntings, my two most popular nesting species here. Also had a Virginia's Warbler. Finally putting all that nasty Catclaw Acacia (Acacia greggii) to good use after putting up with it all year just so warblers can enjoy it in the spring.

Here's a photo that one of today's TOS visitors took of the Lucifer display. How I'd love to take one this good!

By Raul de Laredo

Great migration day

Quite a few birders were lucky to visit on a day when migrants were abundant. Hope tomorrow is as good for the first group with the annual TOS (Texas Ornithological Society) meeting. Here's a couple pics by Mac. The Cassin's Finch is still here.

And here's a female Lucifer Hummingbird that I find interesting. For one thing, it's banded on the left leg. Kelly bands on the right leg. So that means one of his banding guests is the one who banded it. Also it has quite a few gorget feathers. Hoping one of these days to get it recaptured and learn more about it.

Speaking of Lucifers, the new issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine features a two page spread of a photo taken at CMO several years ago by Ron Cook.

I can visualize lots of photographers wanting a shot like that.

Yesterday's tomorrow

Yesterday I resolved to take a few photos today so managed to do it. Here's my cholla patch coming right along. Should be in full bloom soon and look even better.

While watering at the oasis I accidentally flushed a Bell's Vireo from her nest, but she flew right back in when I backed away. 

Photo by Mac

 In 2014 I photographed a Kentucky Warbler here, and today the oasis hosted another. When I pointed it out to Mac I feared by the time he located it and focused his camera on it, it would have disappeared. But he was fast. I had only my Lumix on me and knew I wouldn't be fast enough with it. The Canon just kills my shoulder. In a couple of years I'm going to get a lighter mirrorless camera.

Photo by Mac

For ages I, and other people, have been trying to photograph birds inside the cage feeder. It hit me today that with the bucket feeder hanging and dispensing seed I don't need the cage feeder anymore. Only needed it before I hung the bucket feeder.  So once I realized I could do without it, I couldn't stand looking at it another minute. With Mac's help we took a sledgehammer and pick to it. I so wish I had done that long ago.

Cage feeder center right

Better setup for bird photography

So far, so good

The VENT group was smaller than usual. They got to see a few good birds, such as the Lucifer Hummingbird, Varied Bunting, and Cassin's Finch. Hope the finch hangs around throughout the week. Lately, a 1st year male Painted Bunting has been coming in to the feeder. I don't recall seeing one like that before. By July he should start donning his full adult plumage. Here's Mac's photo of it.

I didn't take a single photo today. Maybe tomorrow.

Back where I belong

Photo of my earth-sheltered home with my mountain in the background by Mac

Today is the first day of the busiest week of the year at CMO as far as number of birders in one week. I'm ready. Hope we get some more good birds. This week, besides the VENT (Victor Emanuel) tour tomorrow, there'll be 3 days of tours from this year's TOS (Texas Ornithological Society) meeting in Alpine.

Here's a couple of enviable bird shots taken by Mac yesterday and today at the oasis.

Bell's Vireo in Catclaw Acacia

Female Varied Bunting in Horsetails.

Yesterday's Big Sit update

Seems Michael Gray photographed a bird seen from the sit circle (a requirement) that may be a new oasis species and another species to our sit list, making the total 51. But to count it we need a positive ID. The consensus is that it's a Great-crested Flycatcher. Here's Michael's photo.

And toward the end of the day Cecilia [Riley] thought to take a photo of me and her. It was a great day and such great birders. I'm ready to do another big sit with them tomorrow.