Monday, October 1, 2012

Sept

5th Sept

hyrax nursing young on rock the other day, quite well grown, wondered if she made it deliberately difficult for them because she wanted to wean them

sunbird singing in the garden lately, flocks of finches about, green? Can't tell Syrian woodpeckers and the black capped Eurasian jays vocal and active, a few hoopoe sightings, several gazelle sightings and today several SCORE big brown jobs came drifting over north valley watercourse from the north east late afternoon, coming down into the pines to roost, probably part of the seasonal honey buzzard migration.

6th Sept

at least 12 gazelle in east field and Pistacias.. two groups of six, one in lower , other farther south area, lots of hyrax at the Shadiker colony including young, flock of several dozen honey buzzards sailing over to the south about sunset, jays, syrian woodpeckers, bulbuls and such, and turtle doves, 2 chillin' on the line as usual over most SW pines

stonechats back! at least two calling in east field

19th Sept

Quite a few masked shrike heard calling lately , forest edge land between shaft and look out corner, just calls, no visuals.

Usual birds but relatively quiet, the doves and greenfinches have stopped vocalizing.  Prinias still vocal as are jays and Syrian woodpeckers, some calls of great tits occasional, also occasional blackbird chakchak towards dusk.

chukar heard somewhere out north of north watercourse yesterday.  Lately including today swallows noticed zipping through.

bats noticed lately over valley road, occasional gazelle sightings, today female middle east woods, yesterday buck, female and young grazing in Pistacias which are turning red.  Hyraxes on rocks by roadside.

22nd Sept

Most notable, by NE picnic corner area of valley road, nice view flyover nightjar at dusk.  Apart from that, some activity adult hyraxes both sides of road, blackbird chacking settling down to roost over towards sapling field, hoodies returning to roost.  Earlier, jackdaw and syrian woodpecker calls,  sunbird singing in garden towards midday.

24th Sept

about midday.. couple dozen or more white storks seen circling high over edge neighbourhood about midday. On walk, about a dozen bee-eaters calling flying quite low over neighbourhood late afternoon heading north west, Eurasian jays glimpsed, lark calls, near north watercourse open, blackbird chaks woods down from valley road, bulbul calls from bank, and great tit calls, Syrian woodpecker and brief hobby calls, jackdaws and hoodies

end September... regular sunbird calling in garden.. rainfall on and off on 29th.  Ring neck parakeets visiting garden early mornings lately, lark calls by north watercourse in open,  jackdaw, hoodie calls, jays in woods.

Gecko calling outside window.