Late June, Early July

Sapling tubes in north valley: lit by the late afternoon sun. At the same time the forest is being tidied and thinned by the east watercourse from hyrax trail to shepherd's trail... cypresses and pines felled for wood burning stoves and such, lower branches on cypesses on hill chopped, vastly increasing visibility and possibly helping to limit fire damage.

The mole rats seem fascinated with parched land and soon excavate under it as seen here.. most mounds about a metre apart on average, some closer

Saturday, Sunday 26, 27 June

gazelle: Sunday: At least 8: 1 off shepherd's trail on slopes under trees, 3 bounded away from us as we came out into the open. Akiva saw three more at foot of the main north rise of windsurfer hill, 2 seen down by olive grove field but they may have been those of the first group of three. One more far north east gazelle field. All females and well grown young, no ad. males.

Bee-eaters: Sun: hunting low over east field, or passing over and flying towards east field, calls heard frequently on walk.
turtle doves: coos , sat(?) and sun
Hobbies: calls heard (?)
Wheatear: juvenile by bunker rubble. Bird seen on boulder mid north slopes windsurfer but distant. Prob both black eared.
Hoopoes: Sat? Sun: brief view near cistern, side of euc grove.
Blackbirds: song various parts of woods and active on the ground.

Eurasian jays : some individuals seen but quiet

Greenfinches: some calls and twitters in eucs by look out corner towards sunset both days
Syrian woodpeckers: Sun: calls and seen betw Pistacia grove/pines/euc area.

Graceful warblers : active and vocal

Hooded crows: some about flying over singly mainly
Collared doves: flying about, some coos yesterday
Laughing doves : street and gardens, some coos
House sparrows : garden, quite vocal .
Feral pigeons: Seen about roofs of neighbourhood several times over past week.
Tristram's starling: heard calling in direction of bipass road.

Monday 28th June

gazelle: gazelle field amongst the almonds and hawthorn and dry stone walls.. probably a dozen, all females and well grown young, no buck seen. About half a dozen, never all in view at once so count uncertain.
Bee-eaters: hunting low over mid gazelle field, calling, and over euc grove, a dozen or more
turtle doves, hobbies : quiet today

Blackbirds: song various parts of woods

Eurasian jays : individuals foraging on gazelle field and throughout woods.

Greenfinches: some calls and twitters in pines around look out corner
Syrian woodpeckers: some: calls

Graceful warblers : active and vocal various places

Hooded crows: some about flying over , foraging on fields
Collared doves: flying about, coos, flight calls esp pine grove by cistern
Laughing doves : active street and gardens,
Feral pigeons: Seen about roofs of neighbourhood

(Tuesday was skipped, being a fast day- decided not to go out and get dehyrated since it was in the 30s and husband had worked that day too. )

Wednesday and Thursday 30th June, 1st July

gazelle: gazelle field north part near foot of hill, around power pylons, group of 6, females and young. A little later we saw 4 on the slopes, probably of that group.
Bee-eaters: some calls
turtle doves, hobbies : coos and call once at about sunset, respectively.
Hoopoes: 1 flew from euc grove to gazelle field, then we saw 2 on dirt road near cistern, one started to dust bathe, other foraging about.
Tristram's starling: call heard.

Blackbirds: brief song

Eurasian jays : individuals foraging on gazelle field and throughout woods, low profile .

Greenfinches: some calls and twitters in pines around euc grove, cistern area.
Syrian woodpeckers: calls, watched female working her way up a euc in euc grove east of cistern, another about but didn't get a good view of that individual.

Graceful warblers : some calls.

Hooded crows: flock, a few score, heading over from over neighbourhood to windsurfer hill.
Collared doves: active around forepart of gazelle field
Laughing doves : active street and gardens, coos
Feral pigeons: some activity over and about roofs of neighbourhood


Sat. 3rd July

gazelle: Sat: north slopes windsurfer hill: at least three, spread out, no adult bucks. North gazelle fields just edge of ploughed area, 6, all females and young, no adult bucks.. as we watched the moved onto the ploughed area, continued to graze.

Bee-eaters: calls heard late aft
turtle doves: coos late aft
Hobbies: calls heard about 7 a.m. by Akiva

Blackbirds: song various parts of woods

Eurasian jays : some individuals about gazelle field, foraging, on sapling poles

Greenfinches: some calls and twitters in pines by bunker rubble and surrounding area
Syrian woodpeckers: late aft. family, parent feeding young, at least two of them, high in eucs by east watercourse, the group flew between several trees. High pitched calls similar to short calls of parakeets. Several other normal calls heard. Morning about 7 a.m. Akiva noticed one probing the charred ground by valley road near pumphouse. then flew to tree.

Graceful warblers : active and vocal

Hooded crows: some about flying over, some calls
jackdaws: calls various times of day.
Collared doves: active,flying about, gazelle field, some coos, flight calls.
laughing doves : street and gardens, some coos
House sparrows : garden, quite vocal .
Feral pigeons: flying to/from neighbourhood.
Chukar partridge: small group seen on charred ground near pumphouse this morning ~7 a.m. by Akiva,

Sunday 4th July

gazelle: At least 4 north gazelle field. On west slopes windsurfer hill several small groups - first was one with indeterminate horns followed by adult male with fair size horns then another adult male with larger horns. Shortly after another couple seen , prob different.. on our way around saddle saw one with short horns with another with longer horns, could have been last individual of first group, so 6 or 7 more.. at least 10 in all today

For a change we turned right after the bridge and headed up the ''hyrax trail'' up ''villa hill'' .For the first time we did actually see some hyraxes there, though not close to the trail, around the hillslope to the south not far down from the buildings- now I will refer to this one as the villa hill colony.

(Our local hyraxes were active by valley road.. lately have been climbing into acacia by ramp path. Litter of at least four young ones had been right by the verge, scattered down to boulders when sentries called alarm)

Bee-eaters: ,turtle doves: not heard
Hobbies: calls heard in east valley a few times
Kestrel: Good view of one hovering and diving for prey on high west slopes villa hill. Probably uses villas for nesting. Stayed on ground a minute or so, maybe successful but what catching there?

Blackbirds: song various parts of woods

Eurasian jays : some individuals about woods, come calls

Bulbuls: active and vocal today along valley road. Lately have been starting calling in the garden at 5 a.m. or within ten minutes after)
Sunbird: active in the garden today, calls heard in Bauhinia.

Greenfinches: some calls and twitters various places in the pines
Syrian woodpeckers: some calls.

Graceful warblers : active and vocal

Hooded crows: relatively quiet lately some about flying over, some calls, flock western slopes windsurfer hill, loose flocks with more numerous jackdaws.
jackdaws: calls various times of day.
Collared doves: some seen, relatively quiet today.
laughing doves : street and gardens, some coos from shortly after 5 a.m . Seen mating in the Bauhinia yesterday.
House sparrows : garden, street .
Feral pigeons: flying to/from neighbourhood, about roofs.
Chukar partridge: group of at least 6 near hyrax trail leading up to top of villa hill, relaxed, perched on rocks, preening