Bikers of the Sky

Honey Buzzard M. Panuccio

Temp rose a lot since yesterday.. 35 degrees (95 deg F) C peak, still 32.2 (90 deg F) at 7 pm. We were out from about 5.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. We took some water with, naturally and in this climate it's always wise to keep the head covered.

Sunny, plenty high altitude clouds. met office said westerlies 6 knots 17 % humidity.

18 magnificent raptors made their steady way from SE to NW at a steady leisurely glide and only between 100 and 200 feet up. How did they make their way north west with the winds against them? They rode thermals to take them to higher altitude, left the thermal and glided in the direction they wanted downwards. They passed through in a long string.. husband said they seemed like bikers passing through a town, dark, threatening, ominous enough to keep the crows in low profile.

From the wing shape and barring nearest ID I can get is dark honey buzzard Pernis apivorus. (so actually dangerous mainly to bees) We're right at the very tail end of their spring migration when the more immature birds fly north, which would explain the dark colouration. Peak is mid May.

The two black-eared wheatears (summer and spring plumage males.. Bob and Bob jr I'm calling them for now ) we saw yesterday in the field by the saplings were still busy there hunting for insects on the ground. No sign of any young and female, must be under cover. In some birds such as wagtails, offspring from the previous year help out with the brood.. that may be what we're seeing here. Bob Jr. helping out with the folks before he homesteads for himself.

Turtle doves: Cooing in various places including the eucalyptus with all the bees, and a cypress close to the cistern .. that one was on tip top side 'wing' currring right out in the open. It was wonderful to hear the turtle dove coos blend with the sound of many cicadas in the orchard at different pitches - quite a natural orchestra- strings with a tremolo woodwind thrown in. Makes up for the annoying habit of flies playing hopscotch on my fingers while I'm trying to keep field glasses steady.

House sparrows: active all over especially gazelle field after grass seed as usual.

Senegal doves: coos and foraging in many locations.

Hooded crows: Active as singles in many locations, some vocal

Jackdaws: still absent

Jays: Active and vocal.. active especially in gazelle field.

Feral pigeons: active overhead as usual. They're always on top of buildings in our street but I don't usually give them much attention. Today I looked up and was amused to see a male into his bowing and strutting and cooing routine while the two other nearest pigeons had their backs to him and were fascinated with something happening in the exact opposite direction.

Greenfinches: Twittering away like canaries in many of the pines.

Blackbirds: Some song and foraging on forest floor. My son called me from Switzerland. "Mom, can you hear that bird singing in the background?" "yup, it's a blackbird!" He laughed. Some constants remain true for quite a distance! He went on an alpine hike today, saw plenty ravens, eagles and alpine choughs. (a glossy black crow with yellow bill, red feet and superb aerial control) I'd described them to him and told him to look out for the choughs and get pictures if he could. He told me he encountered them. Awesome! they were fearless and he could get very close. Now I'm just counting on our communication being good re descriptions etc and eagerly awaiting those photographs. I saw a gorgeous flock of alpine choughs at a beergarten on top of Mount Tegelberg in Bavaria many years back and those did seem to have little fear of people.

Chukars: Party of at least one adult and at least ten chicks left creek area and headed up slopes to east. Shortly after another group, again at least one adult and seven or so chicks crossed creek path close to previous crossing, also headed up east.

Collared doves: Quite a number cooing away, foraging, one visited cistern

Stone curlews: calls

Sunbirds: calls in tree and on valley road

Graceful warblers: song and calls in grasses

Syrian woodpeckers: Calls in several places. Forgot to mention, husband noticed family group yesterday, at least two young flying between trees.

Bulbuls: First bird I heard today before 5 a.m.

Great tits: Foraging in many places especially edges of field and orchard.