March 2018 Activity

I have modified the format so that there is posting of activity for the whole month, as it has seemed that there was not enough activity to make it worthwhile for a weekly posting.

Weeks 10,11,12,13 in March 2018

Seven large cactus plants pulled out and stacked on the brush pile.  All these were taken out of the area to the west of the gully where the grass has more trouble than it does to the east side of the gully.

This area was really "beat up" when we first excluded the cattle from the area.  The grass was so poor that the first Ag appraiser thought maybe that there was only rock on this hillside, that is, the soil was so thin that it would not support grass.   Now, 5 years later, the grass is making a good comeback and looks pretty good.  That's the reason for a bit more care to remove some of the cactus.

It is important to not remove all the cactus however, because these established stands of cactus provide good cover, especially for birds in the winter.

No quail sounds yet

All the kitchen vegetable scraps are going to the deer for feed, cutting back on the sweet feed.

Looks as if the bluebirds will nest in the box.  THIS IS A FIRST FOR THIS SITE.  It would be interesting to know why they nested here, in this new box, and never nested in any of the boxes in the past 7 years.

Nothing in the purple martin house yet.  It would appear that purple martins do not find enough bugs in the area to make this there home.

Lots of bees on the rosemary bushes.

Had two inches of rain---needed it.