Curlews and Cuckoos May 26th

Gazing North over "Gazelle field" - they prefer to graze in the stretch just beyond the trees in the field, just before the foot of the hill. The pines on left are easternmost trees of the north wadi. Note the old dry-stone walls
Stone Curlew (Paul Stone) Creative Commons

Friday 25, Sat 26

Fri 4.15-5.15 pm ish (mid 20s C, humidity 50%, breezy, NW ) & later around dusk

Sat 5.15 ish - 7.15 ish similar conditions, a touch cooler & less wind

Fri: Adult gazelle! Running on wooded slopes to east of creek path

Sat: Female adult gazelle grazing between trees in gazelle field.. nice to see her! Sad to see her alone. Where the heck are the others? None in view. At least she feels secure to graze alone.

Hyrax: at least 25 individuals prob more hyrax colony cypress slum ::scamper scamper::.. at least 10 adults crossed road to boulders on forest side, on our approach. Most of kits and some adults went for cover in smaller rocks in what we call 'cypress slum' because of some unsightly human littering on that slope. I'd tidy it up but don't want to disturb the hyraxes or accidentally capsize a den )

Saw them both Fri and Sat shortly before dusk. On Saturday at least two dozen babies running around. Some on cypress branches nibbling cones.. spiralling down when they were done. We estimate this colony has at least forty individuals altogether. Saw a mom sitting on a rock, three babies nursing from her while scrabbling for footholds around the sides of a boulder while two more kits engaged in a little horseplay on loose stones below.

Feral dog family emerging from storm drain under beginning of valley road on friday.. looked back at us with guilty dog look as if to say 'do you think those humans are onto us?'

Hubby is now theorizing that the smallest dog is in fact second wife.

Two really interesting bird sightings today. Late Sat afternoon almost the middle of the valley, not far west of the creek path hubby spotted a stone curlew on a rock under pines. Never saw them so far under the trees before. He verified all ID features but I didn't get to see it which was very frustrating despite his most careful directions, ("2 p.m. the pine tree in front of the shrub by the white boulder" doesn't exactly narrow it down a whole lot in that wood and some strong anglo saxon was expressed, but we were patient. After a drink break and some ranging around and lots of prickles in shoes the bird was nice and obliging and stood up on another rock in the sunlight for me, enough time to get him in extended bino view.
They really do strike me as an amusing cross between a roadrunner and something from doctor Seuss.. it's the staring big yellow eyes. Great to get a good view since these elusive birds are usually heard but not seen, they are so camouflaged, and also interesting that they'd forage all the way into the pines like this.

The other interesting birds were Great Spotted cuckoos, Clamator glandarius handsome falcon sized long- tailed crested birds with spotted black/grey and white upper parts and creamy yellow underparts, and a harsh grating call as opposed to the famous 'uh-oooh' of the European cuckoo. I'd found a pair some months ago near where the north wadi emerges into gazelle field. Today, shortly before seven we were simply enjoying the late afternoon air.
I was seated on a comfortable rock and gazing out over gazelle field hoping other herd members would apppear and idly watching the comings and goings of doves (mostly collared doves with the occasional turtle dove and feral pigeon). I noticed a dark bird with a long tail and different look emerge from the pines of the north wadi. Later I saw another similar bird sweep across the field towards a grove to the east and closer to us. Soon after I found the pair of cuckoos in a pomegranate tree on the east end of the gazelle field, just beyond the bunker ruins, and we had very nice views of them.

and now for reports from the usual residents and summerers:

house sparrows - foraging, relatively quiet for a change

senegal doves- around in pairs, quite quiet

hooded crows - singly, in pairs , flying over and assortment of calls, active all around valley, some flocking on top hill immediately to east of valley.

jackdaws - some calls, relatively quiet

jays - some calls, foraging .. active throughout the woods.

feral pigeons - foraging in field by where saplings planted, with senegal dove, and flying over singly, in pairs and small flocks

greenfinches - twittering song and 'chee' calls in various parts of forest and along part of creek path and young pine grove

blackbirds - some song.. pairs and individuals foraging on ground here and there

chukars - fri : family with the 'pre-teen' single chukarling on creek path. Seemed to be 'visiting' with mom's relative.. mom was interacting with another adult, could be sibling or grown chick from earlier brood. . Further along we heard 'chokking' to east of creek path.. could be that same adult staying parallel with the little family, or a different one.. had gone into cover, so either 4 or 5 birds total.

Turtle doves- yet more cooing. 'Tis the season'

Collared doves - a little cooing and some flight calls. Individuals seen here and there, ground and on lines.

Hobbies - Fri: calls over to north east from orchard- both times immediate response from the stone curlews.. a high pitched 'yik yik yik' call.. A stone curlew is probably too big for a hobby to attack but they would definitely be worried about their young. :Sat: calls over to NE. Brief sighting in flight.

Sunbirds - a range of calls in the garden

Graceful warblers - a little song, some calling

Syrian woodpeckers - some calls, some light drumming from several locations.

Bulbuls - busy foraging and calls, active, vocal, some song
Great tits Several busy foraging around the bunker ruins

Bee-eaters, No show both days.. I wonder where they went? Trying another wadi for a change? Hope they'll be back.