Saturday, December 8, 2007

Gazelle chase

Friday: Yesterday overcast and some drizzle on and off all day, slightly misty and chill.

Range 6-12 degrees C, today, assortment of cumulus clouds. . Wind in the southwest most of today, varying but averaging about 16 kt.

In brief, pressed for time but want to get this down while it's fresh in my mind: I may come back and edit later:

At least 3 gazelle in the valley. About 2.30 p.m. watched adult male run after hornless adult from the pine grove to the east end of north gazelle valley. Shortly after there were two hornless gazelle grazing in the north east end of those fields.

Garden: Plenty house sparrows, sunbird calls, white spectacled bulbul, hooded crows
also heard.

Valley: Plenty black redstarts heard and quite a few seen. Regular at bunker ruins but at least two or three other individuals within earshot. They seem to be holding winter territories the way European robins do.

Small greenfinch groups seen and heard. Chaffinch call? Syrian woodpeckers and Eurasian jays heard. Kestrel over north valley, flying up against the wind from somewhere east, then heading towards the buildings in our neighbourhood. Graceful warblers, great tits, Jackdaws heard and a few pairs of senegal doves at the corner shops plaza.

Rain on and off especially friday night which is always great for the aquifers, especially nice when it rains at such convenent times:) Just a trickle on the ground coming down into east valley in friday night. Makes me wonder if water is getting drained off somewhere else.

Saturday afternoon, pretty much the same birds as yesterday but for 'Cap'n Jack' (Eurasian) Sparrowhawk giving us a nice flyover from north east of gazelle field to east. valley trees. Blackbirds singing - in garden and another at east end of north valley woods. Great tits also heard singing in the gardens.

We rigged a bird table in the garden between the Bauhinia and the willow and perfect line of sight from the chair in which I sit now through the window.. can zoom with binocs' minimum focal length from here. Putting out food already while we work on adding features.

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