I love Soapberry thickets. Before I built the dams I had tiny Soapberry trees growing here and there in the arroyo but none ever got more than 4 feet or so tall. Now I have multiple thickets growing and would love it if some of them make it to maturity. Here are a few of them. I planted 2 soapberry trees above a dirt tank and the rest came up on their own. I've never watered them but when the tank is full water backs up to where they are.
This next thicket started itself, but I panicked and watered it twice last year during the horrendous drought. It's in the arroyo paralleling the oasis.
And this last thicket photo is of one near the upper diversion dam. I planted and water the large one, but the others came up themselves. This one that gets regular water is the only one that bore berries this year.
Here is a White-crowned Sparrow (gambelii) that I found interesting. It's a juvenile that looks like it's getting some adult white crown feathers. I don't recall ever seeing that before. Of course, my experience is pretty much limited to wintering birds.
And finally, here's a photo I took today of a Variegated Fritillary butterfly.
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