July second quarter obs, forest thinning well underway.

East watercourse looking roughly south. Dirt road on the left, the white stones of the dry watercourse itself on the right, some sapling tubes visible in background, felled pine and cypress branches on the ground left of dirt road on the left. Below, turning around, view roughly northwards.


Cut pine with resinous sap oozing onto the surface, several ants trapped in the sap.

Monday 5th July, very similar to tuesday but for two species of note: We ascended hill north of north valley watercourse towards hidden watercourse, encountered a pair of hoopoes foraging on the open ground near the top, repeated shrill thin whistle coming from them.

On top of the hill between hidden watercourse and the sage vale were a number of larks, ones I saw looked juvenile rather nondescript in markings though belly looked darkish, had a bit of a crest - in good voice, standing on rocks, calling a few repeated melodious notes with hint of trill, could be were were seeing a family that had bred in that area. ( Crested larks, Galerida cristata only larks I know of in area. )


Tuesday 6th July

gazelle: Tuesday: At least 5 north gazelle field on ploughed area, first seen females, one with young, spread out, grazing and a little later adult male seen wandering into centre of area

Bee-eaters: Flock of about 30 over lower edge of neighbourhood as we headed out. Down near cistern (probably) another flock of at least two dozen wheeled around over eucalyptus and Pistacia orchard and then continued to hunt over east field.
Turtle doves: heard, coos, in pines by central trail, also seen on line over central woods.
Hobbies: call heard by Akiva

Blackbirds: some song

Eurasian jays : some individuals about woods and gazelle field, individuals foraging on ground, using sapling tubes.

Bulbuls: calls heard shortly after 5 a.m. in garden
.

Greenfinches: some calls and twitters various places esp around bunker, cistern area.
Syrian woodpeckers: some calls, quite active lately.

Graceful warblers : active and vocal various places, forepart gazelle field, other.

Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley here and there.
Jackdaws: calls, some about.
Collared doves: active esp. around gazelle field, coos, flight call heard.
laughing doves : street and gardens, coos
House sparrows : garden, street, Feral pigeons: flying to/from neighbourhood, about roofs.
though little attention paid to these today.

Wednesday 7th July

gazelle: : 7 today At least 5 north gazelle field on ploughed area, 2 more with short thin horns on slopes of windsurfer hill, heading up to the open slopes.
hyraxes: some chittering barking sounds heard by valley road.

Bee-eaters: Flock of about 30 over neighbourhood and valley as we headed out, quite high and calling. Calls heard from the house.
Turtle doves: heard?
Hoopoes: 1 perched in pine by central trail.
Blackbirds: some song

Eurasian jays : brief sightings

Bulbuls: calls heard shortly after 5 a.m. in garden again, calls and activity by valley road.
.

Greenfinches: some calls and twitters pines around gazelle field.
Syrian woodpeckers: some calls.

Graceful warblers : some calls.
Great tits: some calls.

Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley here and there.
Jackdaws: calls, some about.
Collared doves: some sightings around gazelle field
laughing doves : seen briefly street and gardens
House sparrows : quietly vocal in gardens

Sunday 11 July

gazelle: : none today but at least three yesterday in gazelle fields by the large almond, making their way to the forest.
hyraxes: some alarm calls up on slopes, pumphouse colony

Bee-eaters: Flock heard early morning last few days, also from the house, late afternoon today.
Turtle doves: heard .
Blackbirds: some song

Greenfinches: some calls around look out corner, euc grove and bunker area.

Eurasian jays : calls and sightings

Bulbuls: calls heard shortly after 5 a.m. in garden last few days.
.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls, also heard from the house a few times early morning last few days, in our garden our neighbours'

Graceful warblers : some calls by valley road.
Great tits: some calls .

Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley to roost
Jackdaws: calls, some about.
Collared doves: some coos, flight calls, some activity seen
Stone curlew: calls heard in evening after dark a few times last few days


Monday 12 July

gazelle: : at least 8 grazing on ploughed part of field beyond almond tree line. What's growing there, apart from some rest harrow and perhaps a little grass? Must check.
hyraxes: some alarm calls

fox: on trail beyond cistern, out in the open, very dark sides on this one, first seen in a while. I was scanning that area for hoopoes and found the fox. Husband did see hoopoe earlier over forepart of gazelle field heading into pines to west.

Bee-eaters: Flock over east valley flying 'downstream', about 30 birds, calling.

Turtle doves: not heard today.
Blackbirds: some high pitched calls and activity, centre east woods

Greenfinches: twittering and calls eucalyptus grove near cistern.

Eurasian jays : calls and sightings

Bulbuls: heard 5.10 a.m. in garden , also active on valley road
.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls, activity

Graceful warblers : some calls by valley road and various places around woods.
Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley to roost

Jackdaws: calls, some about.
Collared doves: coos, flight calls, some seen
Stone curlew: call heard by Akiva about sunset

Tuesday 13th July

gazelle: : One buck by north watercourse roughly opposite bat cave, following another, apparently female. Another at least three grazing out in the open north field by foot of twin pylons
hyraxes: seen on rocks, Shadiker colony

Bee-eaters: flock active just past cistern, in open next to pine grove, hunting low
Hobby: heard a few times around bat cave cypresses, one seen wheeling around over there.

Turtle doves: not heard today.
Blackbirds: chuck chuk alarm call but no song.

Greenfinches: twittering and calls eucalyptuses behind look-out corner.

Eurasian jays : calls and much activity throughout woods and open fields

Bulbuls: heard shortly after 5.10 a.m. in garden, also active and vocal there late afternoon.
.

Syrian woodpeckers: calls, activity esp around look-out corner area

Graceful warblers : calls heard various places around woods.
Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley

Jackdaws: calls on and off through day since dawn
Collared doves: coos, flight calls, some seen
Stone curlew: some calls heard after dark lately

Park keepers have been continuing thinning of woods esp. by east watercourse, more cypresses and some eucalyptuses felled. At the same time evidence that they are taking care of the saplings esp. on the slope between valley road north bend and north watercourse dirt road.

Recently encounters seen between jays and hoopoe, and a blackbird and a hoopoe - in each case the first bird seemed to be trying to chase the hoopoe out of its territory.. perceived competition for ground forage.

Wedneday 14th July

gazelle: : No luck today at all but did look over the ploughed area to see what they could be eating. There was a very little grass, a LOT of restharrow- (Ononis) probably nutritious assuming the gazelle can deal with the spines at the eastern end, some desert mullein, Inula, with yellow thistle and thorny burnet at the western end

Bee-eaters: flock active over look out corner area, at least 24, weaving about just above canopy level and below.

Hobby: at least two active around the shaft area, over the trees nearby.

Turtle doves: not heard today.
Blackbirds: chuck chuk alarm call but no song.

Greenfinches: some twittering and calls young pines near service road

Eurasian jays : calls and activity throughout woods and open fields

Bulbuls: heard shortly after 5.10 a.m. in garden, also active and vocal there late afternoon as yesterday, also thursday morning.
.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls

Graceful warblers : calls heard various places around woods, in more places than usual, foraging on and about the felled trees. .
Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley and foraging on the open fields

Jackdaws: some calls
Collared doves: some coos and seen about.
Stone curlew: some calls heard from direction of Pistacia grove

Thursday 15th July

gazelle: : 3 on ploughed area of north gazelle, another, looked like well grown female, running out of Pistacia orchard towards cypresses and pines to south east.

Bee-eaters: calls heard, hunting east of cistern, other side of pines there.

Hobby: calls heard from trees between shaft and owl glade again, one seen in flight there.

Turtle doves: not heard today.
Blackbirds: some song from woods by east watercourse just north of sapling field.

Greenfinches: some twittering and calls various pines and eucs by look-out corner

Eurasian jays : activity throughout woods and open fields, some calls

Bulbuls: heard shortly after 5.10 a.m. in garden, also active and vocal there late afternoon again.
.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls, actviity

Graceful warblers : calls heard various places around woods, also from garden or next door's garden late afternoon.
Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley and foraging on the ground

Jackdaws: some calls
Collared doves: some coos, flight calls esp. lowest parts of woods.
Stone curlew: calls heard

feral pigeons: in flight towards and about neighbourhood a few times this week . House sparrow activity in garden heard lately though much muted since breeding season.

gazelle: : 3 on ploughed area of north gazelle, another, looked like well grown female, running out of Pistacia orchard towards cypresses and pines to south east.

Bee-eaters: calls heard, hunting east of cistern, other side of pines there.

Hobby: calls heard from trees between shaft and owl glade again, one seen in flight there.

Turtle doves: not heard today.
Blackbirds: some song from woods by east watercourse just north of sapling field.

Greenfinches: some twittering and calls various pines and eucs by look-out corner

Eurasian jays : activity throughout woods and open fields, some calls

Bulbuls: heard shortly after 5.10 a.m. in garden, also active and vocal there late afternoon again.
.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls, actviity

Graceful warblers : calls heard various places around woods, also from garden or next door's garden late afternoon.
Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley and foraging on the ground

Jackdaws: some calls
Collared doves: some coos, flight calls esp. lowest parts of woods.
Stone curlew: calls heard

feral pigeons: in flight towards and about neighbourhood a few times this week . House sparrow activity in garden heard lately though much muted since breeding season.


Saturday 17th July

gazelle: : 5 on ploughed area of north gazelle field, no adult males seen. Another two on northern slopes of windsurfer hill, female and well grown young.

Hyraxes: bark call at about 10.30 p.m. from Shadiker colony


Bee-eaters: flock in eucalyptuses at edge of lower east field, flying in and out. Husband noticed one had wing damage/feather loss on one side.. not symmetrical as would expect with moulting. Hobby attack attempt?

Hobby: calls heard from direction of shaft.

Turtle doves: heard near cistern today!
Blackbirds: some song near bridge, from bird on a stump.

Greenfinches: some twittering and calls around bunker ruins, euc grove

Eurasian jays : activity throughout woods and open fields, some calls

Bulbuls: some calls in garden
sunbirds: many calls from garden early afternoon.
.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls, two flew out of eucs where bee-eater flock were, headed towards Pistacia grove.

Graceful warblers : calls heard various places around woods, also from garden or next door's garden again.
Hooded crows: individuals about

Jackdaws: some calls, flock of about 150 heading low over mid north slopes windsurfer hill not long before sunset, flying from Hizmeh to woods.
Collared doves: some coos, activity esp around gazelle field.
Stone curlew: some calls heard