Thursday, September 3, 2009

Wasp season gains momentum.

A grasshopper I spotted amongst the Inula foliage by valley road. Moshe took the pic.

Seven wasps, from the markings I'd say Vespula germanica, on what appears to be a date. Yummy! Edge of our street. Moshe found these and took the pic. Below, some fossil shapes he found in the limestone by central trail. The ring I think is a cross section of a stemmed aquatic creature, like a worm tube or featherstar type creature back when this region was submerged.

Today's early birds: 5.50 a.m. hooded crow, 5.53 am. calls of distant Jackdaw flock, 5.56 sunbird squeaks, 5.57 house sparrows, 6.40 a.m. laughing dove coos. Was there a bulbul? Not sure, thought there was not long after 6 but I don't see it written down. You see how they are all starting on average a bit later every day as sunrise advances. That is now about 6.15 a.m. summertime.

On our walk hobbies heard but best thing spotted, only because I haven't seen one in a long while, was by Moshe, small brown/grey job on a low branch of an Aleppo Pine not far from the central trail crossroads. It hopped right around and showed a speckled chest and thin insect eating bill, and two small and short to be one of the thrushes. All shape and features put it in family Muscicapidae (old world robins, chats and flycatchers ), I'd say Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata .. these I've seen before but not for a long time. It flew down to the ground and shortly afterwards back up into a tree farther back.

Short 'squeak' Hobby calls from look-out corner area, Eurasian jays heard and glimpsed, collared doves about but otherwise birds low profile again. Hyrax alarm calls heard from direction of cypress slum colony. Again no gazelle. Bat a couple of days ago about one of the bright lightposts just down from our street.

Weather: just under 18 -29.5 degrees C, (64+-85 F) significant increase from yesterday.

Humidity: just under 40% ~noon -95%+ at night.

Wind: W veering NW/N during day, similar to yesterday


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