Another fine spring day

Gazelle hoof prints, several days old in dried ground. These prints are tiny, ~2" in length.

Last night another toad found crossing valley road about 10 p.m. , this time from forest side to bank, a smaller leaner individual than the one I caught a week or so ago but also Bufo viridis.

Another lovely early spring day.
Range: 7-13 degrees C, at about4.30 p.m. 11.9 degrees C. humidity ~50%, wind 9.6kt W

Heard from the house, plenty house sparrow activity in the garden, white spectacled bulbuls very vocal and a little light laughing dove cooing.

Heading down into the valley, saw an adult hyrax apparently on sentry duty on short cut down to valley road. Good to see it here as this is the most northerly and probably smallest of the three colonies on or using that bank. (the other two being the Cypress slum and Pumphouse colonies) We don't often see individuals out here, probably because this one is just down from a schoolyard and most regularly used shortcut to valley road, and gets most human disturbance.

Adult male gazelle up in the north field, grazing just beyond the row of almonds.

Male black redstart bobbing, flitting about foraging at the bunker ruins. Calls of white wagtail, sounded like flock went over though a bit further east behind the trees. Hooded crows fly-over about sunset, a large spread out flock of up to 30 individuals returning south after day's forage. It was almost amusing to see them all simultaneously at least double in flying speed when some kid let off a loud firework. I hate those fireworks! Makes the gazelles nervous too, we saw the male stand at attention when he heard one.
Graceful warbler calls, blackbird singing on the bank by valley road. Glimpse of a sparrowhawk crossing central trail from the owl glade area. The pines had a number of birds settling down to roost, heard one repeated alarm call, I think a chiffchaff up there but small stuff was hopping in and out, settling down for the night, very hard to see in the foliage and against the sky.