Sunday, January 6, 2008

Flowers and Birds




Savyon
flower (Senecio or similar), one of the composites, blooming on one of our shortcuts down to valley road. Taken this afternoon just after 4 p.m.

Range today 5-12 degrees C. When we went out it was just under 8 degrees C and falling and already nipping at my fingers! No rain now though. Winds WNW 7.8 kt, humidity 66% & rising.

Blackbird in full and beautiful song in our garden early afternoon and in the north valley about 5 p.m.

Gazelle field. Gazelles no show though I did noticed some hooftracks. Black redstart on a treestump looking hunched and cold, another on the bunker rubble. Stonechat noticed in the scrub just by the rubble. Graceful warblers heard calling. A couple of Eurasian jays in the top of the pine by the cistern, flew over to north valley pines, soon after were screeching and fussing about something over there. 4.45 p.m. adult Eurasian sparrowhawk flew over the length of gazelle field fromthe north, winging it for the east valley pines probably to roost, nice view! Great tits calling in the pines.

House sparrows and white spectacled bulbuls heard in the garden as usual, feral pigeons and laughing doves hunched in rows on roof railings. Hooded crows heard calling on and off all day and seen returning from northern forage singly and in small groups approaching sunset.

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