Gila's Nature Walks

May continued

2012-05-13T05:46:00.023-07:00

Cricket - Gryllodes hebraeus.. under rock near top of shepherd's trail.

Found these close to north watercourse dirt road on hill side, on Sunday 13th, a whole patch of them standing about 10 inches high. Have not seen these before.

Saturday (Shabbat) 12 May

Swifts hawking over Pistacia grove , ring neck parakeet chased hoodie out of euc by east watercourse, just south of central trail.

about an acre of ground burnt by brush fire each side of valley road from ramp to back of houses to central trail, and further north along the bank, the tamarisk crowning the drain badly damaged.

Hoopoe on ground on terebinth grove, flew up and returned a couple of times.

No sign of bee-eaters last few days but sounds of juvenile great tits in various places commonly heard over last few days. juvenile graceful warblers I assume calls from bank on the way to pumping station.

Bulbuls very vocal gardens, around edges of neighbourhood, blackbird song on and off last few days also. Sunbird calls esp. gardens or not far from neighbourhood. Hooded crows about, foraging over burnt area as they often do. Jackdaw calls. Feral pigeons about roofs. House sparrows as usual, small groups heading out of neighbourhood to forage for grass seeds.
Chukars along north watercourse seen, heard.

Sunday 13 May

Bulbuls, calls, active. Blackbird: some calls, song. Sunbird.. calls in gardens late afternoon. Hoodies.. about as usual and one mobbing a long legged buzzard that was flying over NE field and some almost kestrel like hovering into the wind. (light WSW winds) , Some jackdaw calls, some feral pigeons about.

2 hoopoes seen by young pines near look out corner, ring neck parakeet call from usual euc by north watercourse, some greenfinch calls by look-out corner and also near pumping station. Nice view of fully plumaged great spotted cuckoo by north watercourse, flew from shaft area into trees by watercourse... from place where we later saw hoodie foraging so seems to be this year's chick but already fully plumaged? Some calls from over near bat cave, hobby or some other falcon. Band of house sparrows foraging in hoopoe area for grass seed, one male repeatedly calling from lower branch overlooking them.. warning others of our approach?

no bee-eaters or swifts heard or seen today.

Seen flowering for first time.. some Marrubium, very small flowered type, dense rosettes by ruins by east watercourse, some Eryngium turning blue though most still olive green in colour. A few caper flowers seen for first time.

collared dove coos, flight call, threesome chases, turtle dove coos.

Some hyrax activity. Yesterday heard hyrax calls from direction of new building site between Pisgat Zeev and windsurfer hill area.. moving into new loose boulder sites below building? Potential for two or three new colonies along lower edges of building there.

Gazelle: 4 up from bat cave, 2 near central trail, adult male and left horn female, 2 others up from east watercourse dirt road.

Monday 14th May

5.30 p.m. here in Jerusalem.. Just under 21 degrees C, humidity 52% and falling, wind 1.7 knots from WNW ..

great spotted cuckoos one by north watercourse calling somewhere up in a tree while crow foraged in ground, other in bare tree east side of Pistacia grove,

a few grazing gazelle up in north field and male and 'the left horned female by east watercourse, two white storks (surprisingly) in the north field; ring neck parakeet at least one, probably more in euc by east watercourse , turtle and collared doves cooing, a calling falcon calling repeatedly in trees near bat cave, but longer call, not shrill fast hobby call, singing blackbird by east watercourse, and alarm call, and lots of the usual activity from great tits and graceful warblers calling, young calling and so on. Syrian woodpecker call, hoodies and jackdaws about,

Garden: house sparrows, laughing doves cooing.

16 May Tuesday

It's almost 6 p.m. weather? hmm let's see.. ~23 degrees C, humidity ~50% and rising, wind very light from the north west skies totally clear.

couple of fledgeling great spotted cuckoos about again, one in trees by north watercourse near where trail comes down from north bend valley road, other by Pistacia grove. Consistent. Also consistent lately: sightings of left horned female gazelle and adult buck in east valley pine forest, watched Jay feed young in euc by east valley, close to ones which ring neck parakeets use. Again hoodie chased out by parakeet but at another time hoodie perched there .. they do like those trees and parakeets can't keep them out all the time. More blackbird song,
a few gazelles grazing in north fields,

globe thistles starting to bud. In garden: house sparrows and repeated melodious sunbird calls shortly after sunset.

Wed 16 May

It's almost 5.40 p.m. just over 21 degrees C, sunny with a few fluffy clouds, humidity just over 50% and falling, wind gusting, mostly from west.

couple swallows zipped by us lower edge of neighbourhood, lots of fledgelings about: graceful warblers prob. by north watercourse, great tits in small pines and ground foraging by sapling field near pumping station, bulbuls various places, great spotted cuckoos , calls by north watercourse. . Also Syrian woodpeckers, collared doves, turtle doves and others all active and vocal, male greenfinch feeding on thistle seeds near service road, young pines.

Several gazelle seen grazing in wood (adult male, by ascent to windsurfer hill) and fields, at least 5 females and well grown young up from bat cave, hyrax by valley road, adult on rock. and what day is complete without saying ''hello'' to a hyrax sittin' on a rock!:)

variety of high pitched sunbird calls in garden towards sunset, house sparrows and laughing doves as usual.

More Erygium turning blue, much of the shrubby restharrow producing little beans, viper's bugloss still blooming, more capers blooming.

thurs. 17 May

it's about 10 mins before 6 p.m. almost 29 degrees C, 19 % humidity, light westerlies.

with temp jump, cicadas buzzing in the Pistacia orchard today, first time heard them there this season though have heard some buzzings in our bauhinia in the past few weeks.

a number of great spotted cuckoos about, perhaps 4 individuals.. turtle doves, collared doves both cooing, swifts over edge neighbourhood, Syrian woodpeckers active, Jays family in young pines near shaft, calls and activity from a couple of great tit family and graceful warbler family by east watercourse dirt road.

. male gazelle chasing female by north watercourse.. she crossed before us on road and headed up slope towards owl glade.. two small boys ahead of us scared the buck and he turned about, headed down to north watercourse.

and hyraxes out on the hillside with lots of kits.

18 May, Friday

4.45 p.m. and a sunny ~24.5 degrees C out..

house sparrows, laughing doves, bulbuls in garden, latter calling from just before light.

bands of house sparrows still roaming fields for grass seeds.

delighted to watch a small group of bee-eaters calling and swooping about low over north facing hillslopes, on our way down to north watercourse.. a short while after, a long legged buzzard being pestered by some hoodies up on top of hill opposite.. hobby calls from direction of trees by bat cave, a great spotted cuckoo fledgeling calling to be fed in the eucs below by watercourse . A little later sat in woods just to west of almond tree field - and then, after sitting patiently in the lower woods listening to turtle doves, collared doves, Prinias and cicadas, the occasional Syrian woodpecker call rewarded by the sight of a roller , stunning bird, sitting on branch at the edge of the wood.. unfortunately was unable to approach close enough for a pic.. he took off in his big blueness and headed off 'upstream'. Eurasian jays also about in many places, and greenfinches but they were not so prominent.

Sat 19 th May

2 hoopoes on ground on dirt road by service road young pines.. frequent place for them. Turtle dove coos,

Sun 20th May

great spotted cuckoo flying by north watercourse... gazelle grazing on hill near bat cave.. kestrel call behind bat cave, hillside, falcon, prob same, flew to electricity post mid field. 2 gazelle near central trail, a buck and a young female but not together.

collared dove coos, various doves about, didn't hear turtle doves, not sure if I saw. Greenfinches already twittering near look out corner, some blackbird song on our way down, great tits in many places , various calls including from fledgelings, brief view of bee-eater heading 'downstream'' over north watercourse. Brief view of hoopoe near shaft, jays about, some glimpses, a call, Tristram's grackle calls on the way back.

Monday 21st May

Adult roller noticed by young pine forest by service road.. flew to sapling tube and perched there for a while , gave us beautiful view.

Turtle dove coos and some collared dove coos heard in lowest part of woods, feral pigeons and laughing doves about the street.

Hobby seen flying over cistern area.. first noticed clearly adult bird, second.. they flew out of same tree, seemed a touch smaller, much less definite markings.. likely a juvenile.

Gazelle: several in various places, adult male Pistacia grove as usual, headed up into cypress up hill from there.

Small group chukar partridge open fields/lower slopes south east of area

Hoopoe in tree near north watercourse.. another seen by east watercourse dirt road near lower end of shepherd's trail.

Calls of young: great tits, great spotted cuckoo, latter from direction of owl glade.

House sparrows garden and small parties at edges of fields.

22 May

pleasant walk..

great spotted cuckoos very vocal and active.. 1 by north watercourse .. centred in trees by bat cave but flying about.. other at Pistacia grove.. also saw there family of hooded crows.. youngsters still showing gape flesh.. calls, couldn't tell if from young crows or from cuckoo.. would make sense if calls similar.

greenfinches twittering by valley road, lots of swifts still, group flying about edge of neighbourhood over ramp area, watched a couple of kestrels 1 hovering north ridge.. other flying to tall building up hill in neighbourhood, up from pumping station, chukar on hillside

looked for roller but no luck,

photographed a few invertebrates: spider, cricket, moth, robber fly, beetles.. main flowers blooming now are capers (in pic) yellow centaury and Achillea, (yellow yarrow). Globe thistles growing, blooming soon.

23rd May

~6 p.m. just over 20 degrees, humidity 37% and rising, very light westerlies..

lots of hyraxes, Shadiker colony many young; gazelle buck in north field; hobbies chasing hawks off their territory, at least 4 Buteos about.. falcons flew up and tried to engage them high over north watercourse for a while, turtle doves, cooing and pair foraging on the ground near us near shaft, greenfinches twittering, Prinias various calls, blackbird song. bulbul vocal near trail down to north watercourse dirt road.

Also lots of hooded crows about, jays, including fledgelings, jackdaw calls heard from house.

24th May

~5.45 p.m. outside, the usual sparrow convention, occasional calls of jackdaws, cooing of laughing doves and a short while ago, a Syrian woodpecker in one of our neighbour's trees. ~23 degrees C, humidity, 42% and rising, winds light, nw ish.

lots of this in the fields now..

several gazelle grazing and browsing on hillsides and in pines near trail down, a buck apparently nibbling thorny burnet shoots, another grazing on coral gum leaves, also: great spotted cuckoo, a family of (chukar) partidges, by watercourse east side of gazelle field, turtle dove coos, Prinias lots of calls from north field, great tits, foraging in saplings east side of north field, by watercourse, brief glimpse of roller flying into cistern pine (Akiva saw blue, but we can't rule out it might be white breasted kingfisher which also liked cistern area though we haven't seen one for months.. most probably a roller.. didn't see more unfortunately) ,

Buteo over, lots of hooded crows, collared dove coos,

Pomegranate trees also blooming, with wild carrot, golden thistle, capers and such

Monday 28th May

reached about 32.5 degrees C earlier this afternoon but on our walk, about 27 or28 degrees

quite warm!: singing blackbirds (regularly last few days), cooing turtle doves, shrilling cicadas. Lots of hyrax babies (Shadiker colony) , and gazelle buck let us get within about 30 metres.. they seem quite used to us! Also, bee-eaters, (group calling over valley, flying to and fro) hoopoes,(1 by central trail, another by rock flats), ring neck parakeet, (usual place, eucs by east watercourse) . Had swifts yesterday, lots, screaming and feeding (lower edge of neighbourhood) but none noticed today.

also graceful warblers, jackdaws, hoodies, Eurasian jays, graceful warblers, house sparrows , one band particularly liking 'hoopoe corner'. Syrian woodpeckers yesterday in Eucs but not today. Great tit fledgelings about a lot lately. Calls of great spotted cuckoos

kestrel yesterday above bat cave.. today falcon calls that direction but not sure which.

large Buteo type hovering over north edge near A Ram a few weeks ago may have been short toed eagle as they do the kestrel trick.. was light enough underneath.. not sure if any Buteos can do this and other light buzzard, honey buzzard, wouldn't normally be seen by itself.

Adesmia beetle found and photographed. cicadas,

29th May

5.30 p.m. ~22.5 degrees C, humidity over 70% and rising, brisk westerlies.

walked up to saddle betw. north watercourse and hidden watercourse

several gazelle of bachelor herd,

watched kestrels, female and juvenile in cypress, glimpse of another falcon, brief but looked like peregrine, size, back colour lighter than that of hobby, clear moustache mark, not streaked under, but so quick hard to be sure

also some imm. great spotted cuckoo calls, bee-eater melodious calls overhead, great tits, Prinias, Eurasian jays, yellow vented bulbuls..

couple dead hoodies, no sign injury, if a third may report.. Nile fever about? We have also seen a few dead pigeons lately.. random places.. (not dropped under tree by raptor) .. spread by mosquitoes, affects elderly, can't catch it from dead bird but their presence acts as indicators.

Wed 30th May

~5.30 p.m. ,it's just over 22 degrees C, humidity over 50% and rising.. wind just over 5 knots from the west.

clear skies.. over north fields falcon pair chase off Buteo, grey backed, prob the bat cave hobbies, on hillslopes mother and young gazelle. Two subadults and, separately, adult male seen up slopes by east valley,

hoopoe on valley road picking on charred area.. most of the bank burned recently, damaging some acacias and the little castor oil bush, ring neck parakeet group in eucs, at least four, turtle doves crooning along east watercourse as blackbirds sang, Prinias, great tits, lots of Eurasian jay activity, bee-eater calls over-all.

Thursday 21st May

about 5.45 p.m. just over 25 degrees C, humidity 38% and falling, wind, ~7 knots from the west. clear skies

more and more grasshoppers about the fields now.. also watched various falcons hunting over the hillside, kestrel pair hunting low, also pair with very grey wings perched top of cypress near bat cave, outside primaries darker.. but grey seems lighter than that for hobbies.. again inclined to say we have peregrines. Moustache stripe clear, but would love to have telescope esp since no doubt we have immature hobbies and variations.

a few gazelle about 1 buck by watercourse east edge of open field, a few females and subadults about, some hyraxes out

Syrian woodpeckers vocal and active esp along almond row, young pines, several hoopoes in the young pines, jays along north watercourse, turtle doves cooing around north dirt road turn off, , a few bee-eaters seen and heard flying over both valleys. Masked shrike in tree by north watercourse in grove.. great tit families about, graceful warbler chimes. chukars in north fields. Jackdaws, hooded crows about. Collared dove coos. Some greenfinch calls and twitters in usual area. Neighbourhood: laughing dove coos, house sparrows.

Still NO satisfactory views of wheatears this year.. in past years was not so hard to find the male eastern black cheeked, pied colouring easy to spot at a distance but no luck this spring and summer.

May 1st week

2012-05-01T08:56:00.011-07:00

Colias crocea , clouded yellow.. photographed in oat field in purple Phlomis vale on 6th.. most other butterflies seen are clouded whites with occasional Satyrids and a few smaller jobs I haven't had good views of yet.

Purple Phlomis found in field on 6th notably different from those we've photographed in the past here.. which had longer , sparser flowers and yellow/orange underflowers.. different strain in same field? We didn't see any of those today.

1st May

garden: house sparrows, bulbuls, laughing doves, sunbirds all active and vocal.

lots of yellow centaury blooming on hillslopes and in the valleys now.. the pure yellow variety, none with purple seen yet.

great tits busy foraging for their families in various places, brief glimpse of blackcap in same habitat, ring neck parakeet calls from the eucalyptus, Syrian woodpeckers very vocal in various places, a few dark Buteos about, hooded crows. Eurasian jays active but quiet, Graceful warblers heard. Collared doves about, some jackdaw calls. Turtle doves and bee-eaters not heard. Still no black eared wheatears though did hear call of something in east field.. no luck finding.

three young gazelle in small olive grove. another near east watercourse.. feral cat walked close by , did not bother it at all.

More bugs of various kinds, more caper foliage, Verbascum slowly blooming, most milk thistle gone to seed and fleabane also.

Wed 2nd May

Quarry : Tristram's starling .. four birds about the building ruins on the south side.. one clearly adult male, one adult female.. one juvenile, dark head and paler gape skin visible.. also harsh calls and soliciting for food , unsteady in flight, fluttery, fledgeling but not confident.. perched in outside top of door/window frame, adult close , protective but not feeding it. Did not get good views of fourth but we'd guess second juvenile if not young helper from previous season.

Much fuss from chukar partridges north slopes

several masked shrike along north watercourse, one clearly seen, at least two more heard.

up in pines on other side, blackcap calls. Great tit family calls, Eurasian jays, hooded crows, swifts above.

Buteo up top across valley near A Ram over edge holding position facing into wind while nearby hoodies had to flap to hold position, the Buteo could keep wings totally still. Either Buteo had best sense of exact location or better control.

Another raptor, sparrowhawk from what I could make out. Also a pair of DUCKS, mallard, male and female, headed over towards A Ram.. where do they go?

Graceful warblers.

6th May .. pics above

temp. just over 25 degrees C on walk, just after 5 p.m. light winds from WNW and relatively low humidity.

On hills, chukar partridge (several on hill crest between north watercourse and hidden watercourse, and a lot of larks singing on boulders up beyond hidden watercourse, or fluttering at least ten metres above the ground repeated harsh alarm calls.. I move away, not wanting to disturb nest when this happens.

No bee-eaters today but some swifts.. a Buteo or two on top of hill, very dark , settling on boulders between low flights, rufous brown chest collar against pale underparts.

Hobby over east field/euc grove area. Also over there were Syrian woodpecker calls, Eurasian jays active, graceful warblers , cooing turtle doves in various places. No greenfinches yet.. they generally start up twittering closer to sunset and we were there earlier but I'm sure they were about.

Flock house sparrows on north facing slopes by olive vale.. acting like wild weaver birds ..we've noticed this in past, flocks taking to fields in May when much grass seed to be had.

Sounded like a whole family of masked shrikes in the olives, many calls, squabbling?

Gazelle: bachelor herd group of 6 plus heading across hidden watercourse and beyond.. group of young and females farther down and to the east, ~8 or more. Very small one spotted farther to the east apparently alone.

7 May

It's almost 6 p.m. (S.T.) temp. 21.5 degrees C, humidity 41%, wind 7 knots NW. sunny and blue skies out.

pleasant walk.. hobbies, (looks like they bred , family by Pistacia grove), 1 in bare tree seemed to be young from colouring, two more arrived and they flew off together. Lots of young great tits about, Syrian woodpeckers, Eurasian jays, blackbirds (in song), graceful warblers, swifts, greenfinches, collared and turtle doves all active and vocal.

8th May

lots of graceful warbler calls and activity now in many places, as well as juvenile great tits everywhere. Also today, Syrian woodpeckers, black capped Eurasian jays, hobbies, chukar partridges, collared and turtle doves, greenfinches, singing blackbird, jackdaws, hoodies, crested larks and such and an agama lizard on rocks just up from east watercourse dirt road.

Several gazelle grazing too out in the fields round about.

foliage of capers, Varthemia, Marrubium well underway. Golden thistle budding in north field.

garden: house sparrows, bulbul, sunbirds, latter at sunrise and sunset esp, calling close to window. Feral pigeons, jackdaws, hoodies.

last week or so of April

2012-04-23T13:45:00.012-07:00

blooms of Tamarisk over drainage channel by north loop of valley road

north facing slopes north valley .. this one on trail down from valley road to dirt road but others seen in area. To identify.

Cerambyd beetle on milk thistle

Trip to Netanya

23rd April Just leaving neighbourhood, white stork over the road approaching French hill.

into vale saw a number of spur winged plovers flying about by road, just in ones or twos.

One Buteo spotted.

Netanya.. my first views of the feral common mynahs (Acridotheres tristis) close to the sea.. quite a handsome bird in my opinion with melodious calls though plumage drab, crown almost dark blue iridescence and white patch on wing together with graceful sure flight makes it a pleasure to watch.

unfamilar bird in Netanya, never saw this before, got good views flying
about between tops of lamp posts near sea, occasionally visiting the ground.

Loud, clear melodious calls.

slightly smaller than jackdaw, short tail, dark brown back and wings, broad
off- white 'window' across wing only visible in flight. Tail dark but
feather tips and outer tail feathers white. Wings broad, quick, direct
graceful flight.

head from eye level up black, slight blue gloss, faint red eye ring, iris
dark, bill yellow/orange and like that of a cuckoo. chin and underparts
paler than upperparts but not white.

Several individuals about.

Only one gull noticed hundreds of yards out , not high above water, black headed or similar. had black tail tip though mostly white head.

white swallows about, zipping over the area from time to time.

25 April

almost 6 p.m. , soon heading down to the valley to say 'hello' to the hyraxes in the last hour or so of daylight.. weather conditions: 21.8 degrees C, humidity 62% and rising, wind 2.6 knots from the west. clear skies and sunny :)

garden: sunbirds, cooing laughing doves

high altitude clouds, gazelle grazing on the hillside.. watched a pair of hobbies flying about gracefully amongst the cypresses.. we saw at least three falcons over bat cave area.. territorial disputes.. or in latter case could have been chasing away the kestrel that hunts in that area, one did appear more tawny in colour to Akiva.

family of great tits, cooing collared and turtle doves, blackbird in song and the tamarisk tree covered in many thousands of tiny buds.

greenfinch twitters, call of Syrian woodpecker, hoodies about, swift,

also flowering spiny restharrow by the road.

26 th April.

Now some caper foliage appearing, first mullein blooms out, cat thyme germander beginning to bloom and Carmel leek budding up on mid north slopes windsurfer hill.

3 hobbies flying about over east valley..

By Pistacia orchard.. heard great tit fledgelings, heard Syrian woodpecker, blackbird, turtle dove, some greenfinch twitters. No bee-eaters today or yesterday. Blackcaps heard in pines and cypresses by valley road just up from 'cypress slum'. Did see foraging in pine, lower branches and many calls, low 'tic tic' up from north watercourse a couple of days ago, forgot to mention then.

(some hyraxes about but quiet) 4 gazelle in lower east field, females, sub-adults, between small olive grove and cistern-hill trail.

Hoodies very much in evidence but relatively few jackdaws. Dead young hoodie by trail under pines.. do the great spotted woodpeckers eject young hoodies? Likely. Feral pigeons about, flock over edge neighbourhood.

garden: house sparrows, lauging doves foraging and coos, sunbird calls. Some bulbul calls neighbourhood gardens.

Friday 27 April

mid afternoon: sunny and warm (~25 degrees C) , some bird activity, particularly graceful warblers, great tits, blackcaps foraging for food for their families.. some blackbird and blackcap song as well as coos from turtle, collared and laughing doves. Noticed two agamas basking on stones near north watercourse . Feral pigeons, house sparrows, hooded crows, jackdaws also noticed. Bulbuls, sunbirds in gardens. Eurasian jays also in woods.

baby hyraxes noticed in Shadiker colony, adult male gazelle with good size horns in pines near central trail.

Sunday 29th April

garden: bulbul, sunbird from dawn.

just after 5.30 p.m. just under 18 degrees C, humidity almost 80%, wind 3.5 knots WNW. overcast with thin cloud or fine mist.

about half an hour later observed slow passage of about 100 raptors.. light barred under, rufous under shoulders and central parts, terminal dark bar on tail.. light head.. honey buzzards, many immature? Not one single large flock but several loose groups one following another, not high.

Look out corner: blackbird song, greenfinch song, graceful warblers about, turtle dove heard by north watercourse, great tits and their fledgelings calling, some blackcap calls near service road. Eurasian jays active from about shaft area to pine grove by cistern.. calls of fledgeling latter location while adult went down to ground to forage.

leek opening on hillside but only one seen so far this season.

small olive grove.. two females (??) or immatures in mock sparring session, one in particular quite frisky, much back kicking and bouncing around.

Monday 30 April

2 rollers on lines over hillslopes to NE, occasionally flying up and around and down back to line.. hawking for insects ..Then four falcons turned up.. also hawking about above us very deftly.. probably lesser kestrels from colouring, reddish brown, mask just visible, hard to tell much of colouring but given hawking in a group ID seems reasonable. A few Buteos about and lots of swifts esp over edge of neighbourhood, valley road.. as well as families of great tits and assorted other small jobs by north watercourse, very vocal. Masked shrike heard near north watercourse.. blackcap heard near north watercourse dirt road. warblers foraging in acacia.. one flew around.. had size and colouring of one of the Hippolais warblers but got no further info/view.

Syrian woodpeckers heard in Terebinth area, lots of twittering greenfinches around cistern area and pines towards pumping station. Feral pigeons, house sparrows (insect hawking behaviour from top of building), jackdaws, hooded crows, male gazelle following female near central trail.

Mid April records

2012-04-10T09:53:00.010-07:00

9th April

one turtle dove (first seen of season) on rocks by bat cave.. another top of nearby cypress.. took off, did display flight with no call, turned around. landed on top of cypress again. Lately collared dove display flight with call.

Warm.. saw over 30 gazelle on slopes NE, group of females and well grown young followed by bachelor herd, over 17 adult males, and including a couple of scattered groups.

Roman nettle already has green 'pom poms' in mouth of the large cave over the hill. By there on Syrian thistle found specimen of Cerambyd beetle Agapantha pulifera but did not succeed in getting a decent pic. On others, bush crickets, on occasional Gundelia, green caterpillars (above)

10th April

nice walk.. warm (~20 degrees C) and sky totally clear of clouds. Masked shrike at edge of neighbourhood, Buteos about, kestrels on the hillside, Most Buteos seen have dark terminal tail band, mostly dark, relatively small size for Buteos. One seen over road with no terminal tailband, paler under, think that one is long legged buzzard, Buteo rufinus. At least two falcons on hillside up from bat cave, calls like kestrel though back darker, muddy brown. Didn't get good view of tail.

at least half a dozen gazelle grazing on hill slopes, and finally found a flowering Nigella by north watercourse dirt road.

11 April

lovely walk up the hill across north watercourse.. found bachelor herd of gazelle at top, a dozen plus. they moved on ahead of us, across the hidden wateroucrseA few sub adult males further down hidden watercourse. .. they moved on ahead of us, across the hidden watercourse.

Still plenty stuff flowering from golden drop (Podonosma) to budding aromatic cat thyme germander, campanula, alcea and a wide variety of composites and grasses .. found empty tortoise carapace,

heard bee-eaters, Eurasian jays, great tits, collared doves, more in neighbourhood.. hooded crow, house sparrows.. bulbul and sunbird calling in garden from first light.

15 April

warm and a little humid in the valley, great spotted cuckoos being very noisy.. saw a pair of turtle doves but not cooing, graceful warblers and great tits also vocal as well as a ring neck parakeet up in a eucalyptus. Bee-eaters 12, then 40, and swifts above amongst others. Couple of gazelle on top of hill to north.

17th April

10 mins before 6 p.m. 23.5 degrees C, 20% humidity and very light ESE winds. clear and sunny! bbl!

white storks in north field! foraging spread out , loosely seemed to be in pairs.. at least 16 spread from twin pylons up onto lower and mid hill slopes up from bat cave. After a while headed to pines and cypress beyond and up from bat cave, up on ridge between north watercourse and hidden watercourse , esp on some rather dried out pines, at least 15 landed, more joining at leisurely pace from Phlomis vale.. betw. them and those still on field, at least 20 birds

Akiva noticed one spook a youngish gazelle in the grass which leaped up and in turn spooked the stork, which took flight.

pair of falcons over north watercourse dirt road, one joined by another, smaller, looked slightly aggressive , but could be the male.. silhouette, dark, not kestrels but couldn't tell and no calls... possibly hobbies.

lots of great spotted cuckoo calls, some bee-eater calls. blackbird calls and some song. collared dove coos, flock several dozen jackdaws heading low north near security road to east. Graceful warbler calls.

buildings: house sparrows, feral pigeons, laughing doves

Saturday 21st April

gazelle, on hillside, males females esp up from bat cave on south facing slopes. Hobbies, sparrowhawk spotted heading from neighbourhood to east valley as dusk approached.

bee-eaters, brief call and sighting of ring neck parakeet.

male blackcap foraging in thistles by bunker rubble, returning repeatedly into one of the large pines there, (likely there's a nest up in there somewhere)

some time in the evening heard call thought was our escaped sugar glider.. went out in the garden, Akiva glimpsed medium large bird, quite broad wingspan, flying from street to valley.. repeated calls.. decided most likely to be little owl.

Sunday 22 April

almost 5.40 p.m., weather conditions: temp 21.5 degrees C and falling, humidity 35% and rising, sky clear, pale blue, wind 3.5 knots from the north.

turtle doves, coos now and yesterday finally, collared doves some coos, great spotted cuckoo (Akiva heard near pumping station) , bee-eaters (heard), a white stork (coming into north valley from direction of the large olive grove but probably most staying over there since lots of boys in north valley on vacation) , great tits singing in a number of locations and feeding fledgelings east edge of Pistacia grove; blackbirds in song and active on ground, syrian woodpeckers vocal and active in a number of locations esp young pines by service road, Eurasian jays active in a number of locations and some calls plus in the valley, kestrel over cistern

sunbirds and laughing doves in the garden.

1st week of April

2012-04-01T14:27:00.016-07:00

zoom up on one of Akiva's Jerusalem sage pics (Salvia hierosolymitana)

Below, a beetle that dropped of a gladiolus at edge of east field, near Pistacia orchard.

some kind of sage relative found by trail from north watercourse to north valley road on 2nd.

Below: some kind of borage, found by low dry stone wall Phlomis field.

Below, Campanula amongst clovers.

below and above, would like to get retakes if I can find them again, above, have seen many on west hillslopes, this one near cistern, but so small hard to get sharp. Below, near north watercourse in open.. was trying to get a grasshopper, noticed this interesting tiny flowerhead nearby when I was looking over photograph.

Below, composite, common this time of year but not yet properly I.D. One of Asteriscus, or related?

Sunday 1st April

Temps mild, pleasant

Gardens: sunbird calls, bulbul calls, these vocal also in north valley watercourse. Laughing dove coos, house sparrows, jackdaws, hooded crows .. feral pigeons over.

Jays active, some vocal, some blackbird song. Graceful warblers vocal.

Crossed north watercourse, walked up to 'butterfly glade', saddle between there and hidden watercourse. Saw first Campanula. pic above. Still some Cyclamen.

noticed group of bachelor males on skyline to north, at least 5 males there.

kestrels as has been seen lately hunting on south facing slope, using top of slender cypress up and behind from bat cave as perch.

Below: prob of brassicaceae, at foot of our steps. To I.D. later the flower part shot up, stem elongated taking flowers much further from leaves.. similar to mustard flowers but far smaller.

2nd April

Walked over to Phlomis field. On the way at least 16 adult male gazelle in bachelor herd, at least one was on saddle between the watercourses, as we approached we saw them just across hidden watercourse, grazing peacefully, nearby, group of females and well grown young, at least 5 individuals. 3 more adult males headed north. In olive grove several more including one adult male. Total, about 30 individuals, new record in one day!

Gundelia starting to bloom. Several crimson gladeoli (G. italicus) found edge of Phlomis fields in open though near scrub. Unfamiliar white borage in pic above found near dry stone wall. Some Judean sage about to bloom. Phlomis coming up but no sign of flowers yet. No Jerusalem Salvia yet. Purple clover, yellow flax now blooming and still pheasant's eye, pretty much all known (to me) varieties of clovers, cyclamen.

Several larks active on south facing hillslope, calling on boulders, pi pi pyuuu didit repeated, melodious, also some more trilling calls. Plumage quite smooth, plain brownish, with crest, striations not visible.

Buteo with dark subterminal tail band, at least two in the area. Kestrel active in same area as has been lately.

Bulbuls, great tits, graceful warblers vocal though no great tit song. collared doves, jays active. No turtle doves yet.

garden: calls from sunbirds frequent. laughing dove coos and house sparrows as usual.

5th April First bee-eaters of season seen and heard! 5 flying over north field, younger pine grove area.

Getting warmer! Peak temps now in mid or upper mid 20s degrees C.

8th April

Walked along by north watercourse. Swifts and some bee-eaters heard over the valley, flying quite high.. no kestrels or Tristram's but did hear chukar partridge, collared doves. Lots of calls from great spotted cuckoos. Looked for blue rock thrush and little owl on rubble approaching quarry but no luck.. then pack of feral dogs showed up at the top and made a huge noise. Apart from spooking any birds I decide to move back downstream, farther from their territory .. at a leisurely pace because I didn't want to trigger a chase. Feral dog packs keep a distance when I'm with Akiva but this time I was by myself so they might not be intimidated, and they were a bunch of good size dogs.

Looked for Ciliate Nigella, still no luck but did find quite a few gladioli, one packed with bees, all dopey. Syrian thistle budding, quite attractive to some Dipterans, (body matched Otites grata in Rittner's site but without the marked wings). Also one small stand of budding 'Maccabees' blood' (Helichrysum sanguineum). Hawthorns half covered with blooms, much better than last two years but not up to level of three years ago, not yet at any rate. Akiva succeeded in finding and photographing Jerusalem sage on mid west slopes of windsurfer hill a few days ago. Wattle tree already have covered with yellow pompoms.

Dipteran on Syrian thistle (in text)

Fourth week of March

2012-03-24T18:37:00.011-07:00

Pea relative, like Ononis, restharrow? photographed on 30th in cleared area middle of east woods

tiny cress like plant, needs I.D. by north watercourse dirt road.

turban buttercup laden with beetles. Now flowerheads are restaurants. This afternoon, latish (31st) watched a nice variety on milk thistle including lots of black aphids being worked by large reddish brown and black ants and several crane flies also came in to dine.

Saturday 24th March spring equinox

Mild/warm and clear in the valley this afternoon, about 20 degrees C. Set off shortly after 5 p.m.

blue pimpernel noticed on trail down from valley road to north watercourse dirt road.

Greenfinches have resumed twittering in the valley, some collared dove coos. Buteo noticed, very dark, dark tail band. Syrian woodpecker call briefly. Great tit scolds but not song. Graceful warblers quite vocal. Jackdaws and hooded crows, activity and calls. Feral pigeon activity. Bulbuls, sunbirds, house sparrows about gardens. didn't note laughing doves but probably about. Jay activity, some calling.

On way back, blackbird alarm calls somewhere in east valley, some brief notes heard. Alarm call seemed to set off a stone curlew. European cuckoo heard in woods dusk.

kestrel calls from tall building near top of our hill, some swifts flying about high above. Hyrax barks heard. No gazelle noticed today but could be shy due to increased human activity in the valley (people taking Shabbat walks)

Sunday 25th March.

Greenfinches twittering and chawing, activity between trees in the lowest, youngest pines. y, some collared dove coos and activity, pairs together. Buteo noticed again, light undersides, fine banding, dark primaries, dark tail band. Syrian woodpecker noticed by Akiva. Great tit calls? by service road, no songscolds; Graceful warblers quite vocal. Jackdaws absent today, brief call? and hooded crows, activity and calls. Feral pigeon activity. Bulbuls, calls many times from first light, gardens and edge of neighbourhood. sunbirds, musical calls garden, briefly hovering right outside window house sparrows about gardens. didn't note laughing doves but probably about. Jay activity, some calling.

On way back, blackbird alarm calls, Akiva heard song earlier.

kestrel noticed eating food on ground on hillside to north. , some swifts flying about high above from edge of neighbourhood to over valley, some screams. Gazelle. group of at least 9 females and well grown young grazing in field by twin pylons, lower hillslopes to north.

Much Eurasian jay activity, some calls. pair of chukar partridges noticed in open lower part of east field.

Thursday 29 March

cool/mild, just over 12 degrees C on walk, partially cloudy

Bulbuls, many calls, gardens and north watercourse area; sunbirds, musical calls garden;, house sparrows about gardens. laughing doves about garden as usual.

Greenfinches some twittering and chawing in the youngest pines; collared dove coos and some activity;. Buteo noticed again about half dozen individuals, one attacked repeatedly by a hoodie over central trail, light undersides, fine banding, dark primaries, dark tail band, upper wings black and brown, no distinct patches, two landing near bat cave followed by repeated anxious sparrowhawk calls; Graceful warblers quite vocal. Jackdaws some calls. hooded crows, activity and calls. Feral pigeon activity, much cooing in in eaves of building at edge of neighbourhood. Jay foraging activity and calls.

On way back, blackbird alarm calls and some song.

kestrel flying over north watercourse from hill to woods. Gazelle not noticed, prob due to more activity of children in valley, probaby had moved up north watercourse valley and/or over to sage vale. some calls of great spotted cuckoo heard somewhere up north valley. Akiva was reasonably sure he heard European cuckoo. Hyrax heard somewhere on the bank after sunset.

stone curlew heard from east fields after 10 p.m.

Friday 30th March

In valley, Prinias calling down in the fields, great spotted cuckoo heard, sparrowhawk heard from direction of bat cave. Usual garden and street birds.

Saturday 31st March

We were listening out for turtle doves but no luck.. either not back yet or had finished cooing. I've noticed in the past they prefer to coo when it's sunny. We did hear some blackbird song and alarm calls, some great tit scolds. Tristram starling whistles, sounded like two of them flying from neighbourhood over towards Hizmeh. Swift screams. Buteo spotted briefly. Hooded crows about as usual.
house sparrows, laughing doves, bulbuls, sunbirds in garden as usual.
Hyrax barks at sunset.

Also noticed blooming: Onobrychis vetch, the dark purple variety, bright yellow Achillea

Third week of March

2012-03-15T08:58:00.010-07:00

Heart podded hoary cress at rubble (where we usually see black redstart) Cardaria draba

Thurs 15 March:

Garden: sparrows, cooing and foraging laughing doves, sunbird calls, short melodious, calls of hooded crows

feral pigeons about, jackdaws over, calling.

cool, rain threatening, has rained on and off through most of last night, thank God!

Brief walk on valley road, ominous rain clouds scudding over from the west.. hyrax seen right under Lev Aryeh building amongst other places, three gazelle grazing in the sapling field, femles, well grown young, watched a chiffchaff forage in an acacia, also heard/saw jays, syrian woodpeckers, ring neck parakeets calling from eucs down by look out corner , jackdaws, great tits,(some song), graceful warblers and the usual patrolling hoodies.

chaffinch calls, 1 female on acacia, 1 white wagtail flying over neighbhourhood, confirming they're still about. Looked for swifts but saw none in sky.

19 March Mon

garden: house sparrows, laughing doves cooing and male following female on ground, strutting, great tit song in our or neighbouring garden. Bulbul melodious calls. Jackdaws, hooded crow calls. Feral pigeon flock on wing when we left house. No sunbird calls.

star clover noticed today, their flowers were pink and white but now they are morphing to the characteristic star seeds. Lots of pheasant's eye and chamomile on the hillside. Watched kestrel hover and dive for food on hillside colouring suggested female. Made at least one successful catch.. was on ground for some time feeding. Then flew up to perched on line. A second bird heard calling from direction of Hizmeh. Soon after pair seen flying over cistern to west.

Spotted nicely furred fox loping along towards the bat cave but vanished before he reached there.. we think perhaps into earth but view blocked at that point by a pine. Sparrowhawk flying from hill to woods over shaft area as seen many times before sunset. Several collared doves on line and in pines near cistern, not at all bothered by kestrel. Eurasian jays glimpsed but not vocal. A couple of swifts up hawking. Prinias calling. Blackbird alarm. No sign of any winterers today.

Gazelle: at least 5 up on skyline to north.. bachelor herd. Two females on hillside lower and farther to east. Chukar? Or hyraxes sounding like them, which sometimes they do, or similar to kestrels.

Weather quite mild, temp up.. sky white, visibility less than a mile.

Tues 20 March

sunbird and bulbul melodiously vocal in the garden as it became light. House sparrows, laughing dove coos heard later, and jackdaws from somewhere about the street.

Weather mild, clear skies, over 16 degrees C.

milk thistle is beginning to bloom now and collared doves are just starting to coo in lowest pine grove. Kestrel on the line over hillside to north, prob the same one we saw yesterday. At least 14 gazelle grazing there, some chases noticed, young males showing off to the females. Great tits, graceful warblers active and vocal. Several swifts on the wing over edges of neighbourhood. Chaffinch calling in acacia at head of trail down to dirt road. Akiva spotted a hirundine but was gone before we got more info for id. Hooded crows about , valley and neighbourhood. Feral pigeons over. Eurasian jays active here and there. Graceful warblers active and vocal various places.

Wed 21st March

mild, clear and sunny

Today went up north watercourse dirt road towards quarry in hope of seeing Tristram's starlings or little owl. No luck on those but did find some nice wildlife.

gazelle 4 on hillside up from north watercourse, 2 females together and a male following a female, hyraxes over on rubble to north of watercourse before quarry.. little owl area; kestrel crossed over from A Ram to neighbourhood, jays active foraging on ground in many places, some calls, blue rock thrush foraging on rocks in little owl area, black redstart perhaps also a female, at other end of same rubble hard to make out details. chukar partridges in many places.

of most note for plants: 1 blooming clump of Turban buttercups (Ranunculus asiaticus ..) side of road but attacked by caterpillars.

22 March

garden and area: house sparrows, cooing laughing doves, bulbul calls,

adult male gazelle in woods near central trail

pleasant walk: kestrel pair up on the hillside, on lines, power line posts and also flying about briefly, mobbing a large dark bird that had landed on a boulder at the top of the hill. Buteo also landed on top of cypress a little to west , by bat cave. Hoodie mobbed it briefly. Swifts high over tall buildings edge of neighbourhood at top, great spotted cuckoo heard, syrian woodpecker heard repeatedly near bat cave, perhaps concerned by the Buteo; cooing collared doves, great tits and Eurasian jays, graceful warblers active and vocal and, notably, Akiva heard and saw a pair of *turtle doves* in a park in the centre of town- cooing distinctly.. I wonder if these are early arrivals or overwintered?

small poppy species noted on way down trail, about half the size of corn poppy and without the blackcircle at petal base though there was a black margin at base.

Pistacia orchard now budding into leaf, hawthorns well leafed.. hope they bloom well this year for a change, greenfinches not noted yet, white broom, blooming, noted near pumphouse, hadn't seen one there before, and the one blooming on the lower bank down from north loop of valley road has spread considerably.

March 2nd week

2012-03-08T14:40:00.010-08:00

small stand of wild tulips up wooded slopes from east watercourse dirt road, near 'tree line'

clary- Salvia horminum

thurs 8 March

Pleasant day ~17 degrees C give or take a degree most of afternoon, mostly clear, a little cumulus.

Crossed north watercourse and headed up hill. Still lots of asphodel, Roman squill and cyclamen, also more figwort, some orange pheasant's eye, patches of clary and now plenty of the small blue, blue purple mini iris with stippling and yellow at base and inside tubes of petals.

Garden: house sparrow, laughing doves, also about street, hooded crows. some Feral pigeons about, Akiva saw sunbird earlier .

Up on hill.. ahead of us, group of half a dozen gazelle. Larks up top of hill, one hovering a few metres up from ground calling repeatedly , perhaps simple song. No good views. Two stone curlew left slope, headed down to fields. Looked for eggs, was possibly suitable laying area, but no luck. Chukar partridge heard somewhere on the slopes. Great spotted cuckoo heard from down in the woods somewhere.

Also great tits, graceful warblers. No luck with stonechats.

Sat 10th March

stone curlews (from north field area) and european cuckoo (from pines near north east corner valley road) calling in dusk on our return.

a few gazelle 2 north ridge, 1 buck coming up from top of shepherd's trail, headed out over east field, lower windsurfer slopes, lots of chiffchaffs contact calls, great tit scolding calls, brief song, graceful warbler vocalizations, european jays activity but quiet, a pair of hoopoes flying north east of trees; black redstart on a dry stone wall east field, female stonechat also there.. no male stonechats seen or heard anywhere. collared dove group on line over confluence, brief blackbird song.

Akiva heard sunbird earlier. about street: house sparrows, laughing doves, bulbuls (active, vocal many places today) , hooded crows. Jackdaws not noted. Did not look out for swifts and none obvious.

Sunday 11 March

mild/warm

Around dawn melodious bulbul and sunbird calls heard.. laughing dove coos, chirrupping house sparrows and later, jackdaws, hooded crows, feral pigeons.

*wild tulips* growing in several locations on west slopes. The first location we found them a few years ago is now part of the construction I think but I was optimistic and determined to discover more sites. I did find a group of tulips just below the most north western tip of the roadworks. Making our way down the hillslope Akiva discovered a couple of isolated flowers and then a beautiful little stand just inside the 'tree-line'

Also lots of buttercups, butterfly orchid, mini irises, buckler mustard and others. Cistus vegetation noticed north west windsurfer hill slopes.

Also, gazelle, adult male , then three females and well grown young lower north slopes of windsurfer. Hyrax chitters and activity by pumphouse colony, swifts now beginning to scream and lots of activity from jays, great tits, blackbirds, syrian woodpecker, ring neck parakeet, graceful warbler, blackbirds. Stonechat out in field. Black redstart absent from rubble and dry stone wall,

Monday 12 March

cool/mild

some gazelle: adult male went from Pistacia area to small olive grove where grazed. Group of 3 females/well grown young crossed shepherd's trail and continued along treed hillslopes to sw. a few adult hyraxes out on rocks at Shadiker colony, lots of jay and Prinia activity esp. in lowest parts of woods, blackbird and great tit song, great spotted cuckoo calls around look out corner area, collared doves and then four *black kites* appeared over windsurfer hill almost hovering, circled around over east valley and flew right over us.. (cistern to top windsurfer trail) then went on their way back over east watercourse, look out corner area, upsetting the local hoodies. A couple of hoodies flew up in half hearted harassment but kites chased them back briefly and they desisted.

Is it a crossbill eruption year? Saw pair finches up in pine by, cistern to windsurfer trail, mostly obscured by foliage but were feeding in there, bill wiping noticed, distinctly forked tail, brief view of underside of one looked redder than I'd expect from a chaffinch (which I'd at first thought they were.. had heard call like chaffinch but a little softer.. but not as crossbill described in book though just a contact call.. they all have a range of several) .. didn't get any better views except clearly a pair.

Chamomile starting to bloom, lots of Carmel bee orchids and pink butterfly orchids about.

Wed. 14 March

garden and street: house sparrows, bulbuls quite vocal in various places, laughing dove coos, feral pigeons, hooded crows.

a dozen gazelle grazing lower hill slopes just east of bat cave, females and well grown young, 1 adult male in attendance. 4 more on slopes up from east watercourse dirt road, sub-adults all?. A few Buteos about, brief view of large bird of prey over east watercourse being harassed by a hoodie, got impression it as a black kite.

great spotted cuckoos active and vocal, singles flying about, and brief chiffchaff song in young pine grove by hoopoe corner. Eurasian jays quite active. Quite windy, making flight difficult for most birds.

Black redstarts, sunbirds, blackbirds, Syrian woodpeckers, stonechats, swifts, jackdaws not found.

March, First week

2012-03-01T07:55:00.019-08:00

hyrax found on valley road: back foot. Back legs were quite short, similar to dimensions of guinea pig.

front paw

eye and mouth.. also noticed pink tissue coming out of nose.. in skull we noticed well developed nasal cavity.. probably a LOT of nasal sensory tissue.

hyrax ear

Thurs March 1st

brrr temps falling! mid afternoon temp about 5 degrees C, raining on and off last couple of days. Sleet this morning, snow in Amman. We did get a gap in the rain for a short walk on valley road for about half an hour before sunset. All watercourses flowing. I don't recall SEEING north and hidden watercourse flowing before.

Blackbird (in castor oil bush on bank) and great tit(down in pines) in song, whistle from a Tristram's starling flying up north watercourse, encountered a HEDGEHOG crossing the road before us while yet light.. he stood still as we approached, watching us with his beady eye and looking scared. I assured him we were mostly harmless. He didn't roll up, just waited till we moved on.

gardens: house sparrows, laughing doves about, brief calls of sunbird and bulbul. Hooded crows about street, roofs, flying over valley, some calls

snow friday morning, settled briefly. Rain on and off into Shabbat

Sat 3 Mar

Garden: laughing dove coos shortly before dawn, still dark. Later, hooded crows, then house sparrows. Later, ring neck parakeet calls. blackbird song.

afternoon walk: drizzle on and off. Linnets about, small flocks flying about, and 2 in linnet tree. Several chaffinches off valley road, tops of cypresses, calling.
Blackbirds, song in trees on valley road, woods.

Swifts over edge of neighbourhood, several. not calling. Large sparrowhawk flew up over windsurfer hill lower slopes towards Pisgat Zeev, not high above canopy level. Female? Another sparrowhawk some time later flew from north watercourse area to over edge of neighbourhood.

gazelle: buck near north watercourse, near bat cave, rubbing horns against sapling apparently. sounds of hyrax barks.

No jays or woodpeckers today. Chiffchaffs active though, calling, foraging, flying between trees. Graceful warbler call. Bulbul various calls. Jackdaw calls, more hooded crows. Feral pigeons about buildings, whirr of wings, prob collared dove, in pine down from north loop valley. Akiva caught brief snatch of Tristram starling call from somewhere east, we both heard chatter of great spotted cuckoo from trees near bat cave. stone curlew later, after dark.

Sun 4 March

Garden: house sparrows, laughing doves, bulbuls, blackbird. Hooded crows and jackdaws heard. Feral pigeons about, ring neck parakeet.. uncertain, did hear some psittacine calls. No sunbirds.

Buteo with wing 'windows' flying over from A Ram to over neighbourhood, relatively brief glimpse. Great spotted cuckoo calls in eucs by look out corner, stone curlew brief call from direction of hidden watercourse.

Half a dozen gazelle, 4 on far south east slopes of hill north of gazelle field, near the confluence. 1 individual near central trail, didn't see much detail but got impression a relatively young one. In Pistacia grove adult male watching us at edge near pines, he headed back and I think it was him we saw again near top of shepherd's trail when we turned off hill to head back down towards east watercourse.

East watercourse is flowing and work has been done at look out corner to make sure it drains properly into watercourse on gazelle field without flooding the field by the bunker rubble where there are now many saplings. A row of slabs on upstream side of central trail serve both to halt erosion and as stepping stones. We really appreciated these efforts!

LOTs of linnets in small groups twittering over, singing blackbirds various places including our or neighbouring garden, black redstart at bunker rubble, stonechat, female over towards small olive tree grove, chiffchaffs in pine canopies, Prinias loud vocalization here and there. Several swifts over edge of neighbourhood but not screaming. Eurasian jay in pine. No calls of Syrian woodpeckers today.

Mon 5 March

fox approaching cistern along track, black redstart on bunker rebar, stonechat on scrub near cistern pine; robins, some calls, one in tree by north watercourse over from where trail from north road comes down. linnets, none in linnet tree but small groups passing over before sunset. kestrel, flew from hill to north to over neighbourhood; sparrowhawk over open north watercourse; chiffchaffs calling in pine canopies; ring neck parakeet in tall trees behind look out corner, called and headed fast to neighbourhood.

Most interesting. big lone stork job circled over east valley for a while before coming down somewhere to NE of us as it grew dark. Immature black? Lost touch with rest of flock, unusual to see alone. Not snowy white enough for white stork but seemed pale under.. no red but that hard to tell in silhouette... as it came down bill definitely looked longer than that of crane. Got some pics but poor definition in available light.

Tues 6 March

garden earlier: house sparrows, laughing doves, various sunbird calls, farther off, jackdaws,
also about, feral pigeons, and hoodies about valley and neighbourhood as usual.

half a dozen gazelle, females, well grown young, grazing out in the open, north field, by twin pylons, beyond watercourse.
swifts, over, about tall buildings up in neighbourhood. Heard calls, then we saw kestrel flying across east watercourse high, to those buildings.

ring neck parakeet, trees behind look out corner again, black redstart, on rebar at bunker rubble same area; stonechat, scrub around cistern pine; chiffchaffs, pine canopies thin contact calls as usual; great tits much scolding in relatively young pines in hoopoe area at same time strident chiffchaff alarm calls so something was bothering them but didn't see what .Was a pair of Eurasian jays about. Strange squeaky song in bunker pines.. didn't see what but recalled odd jay song I'd witnessed years ago. Was at least one jay in the tree at the time so possible. bulbuls calls near Shadiker hyrax colony, graceful warblers, calls around forepart of gazelle field; linnets, twittering of small groups going over now and again; chaffinches, in young pines, Tristram's starling, calls somewhere not far from pumphouse. Hawk over from north, nonedescript brown with paler stippling, no noticeable id features such as wing or tail bars but looked smaller than regular Buteo, larger than usual Accipiter.

several different types of clover blooming now - small white flowers, smaller leaves than those of white clover.. like miniature of that. Also the dark purple 'spiny' variety.

Found roadkill hyrax on valley road, used opp. to photograph feet and ear.. will post in blog. Couple of adult hyraxes active in boulders of Shadiker colony.

Wed 7 March

Garden: male sunbird active in Bauhinia earlier, house sparrows, laughing doves.

5 linnets in the 'linnet tree' today, some twittering. Jackdaws and hooded crows about as usual. graceful warblers about, stonechat pair active low on trail from north valley road to north watercourse dirt road. Sparrowhawk flew over shaft to south. Black redstart not at rubble but probably spooked by people there just before us. Swifts aloft, still none screaming. Syrian woodpecker north watercourse area, collared dove on line, chiffchaffs in pine canopies as usual.

February second Half

2012-02-15T07:59:00.012-08:00

above: Found by trail down from north corner valley road to north watercourse dirt road on 27th, have not noticed this before. Aethionema carneum - (pink) stonecress.. cabbage family.

photographed 20th Feb by north watercourse dirt road.

15 Feb

Gazelles: 9 east of bat cave, 2 more beyond Pistacia grove

Garden, street: House sparrows, laughing dove coos, hooded crows, jackdaws,
sunbird cape honeysuckle, single pure whistle 'pyoo!' repeated and tk tk
feral pigeons in covered part of building, none on roofs. ring neck parakeet call mid morning

Pair great spotted cuckoos end of Elias, Jay calls
2 hoopoes over look out corner area. Sparrowhawk over, group of 5 linnets twittering as they flew, also two in tree up from Shadiker colony (no hyraxes out today) , chiffchaffs in canopies.

By pumphouse while hoodies settling on tree tops high pitched pure metallic two tone call unfamiliar, high in cypresses but didn't see the bird. ''tzing- tzing

Thurs. 16 Feb

cape honeysuckle: sunbirds prob pair towards sunset, yellow vented bulbuls (quite vocal in gardens and near valley road), and (this afternoon noticed) chiffchaffs foraging in it. Several nests in there! Today also saw/heard lots of Great tit activity and song, several pairs along bank, claiming territories in and round acacia though their territories seemed to cross the road and include part of forest below. Graceful warblers calls. Syrian woodpecker call, Eurasian jays active in pines but quiet, in pairs, various finches while the parakeets and blackbirds kept a low profile. Finch on top of cypress up from pumphouse baffled me for a while.. chaffinch shape, conical pale bill but dark forehead, crown. On consultation of guide brambling most likely.

Hyraxes on the rocks up from pumphouse, several gazelle glimpsed over by windsurfer hill, saddle watercourse area. collared dove spooked from trees up bank, feral pigeon on rooftops, hooded crows, jackdaws about. Chaffinch call down from bank but didn't see, some twitters.. early greenfinch song? Some laughing dove coos earlier, house sparrows as usual on ground. If white wagtail, v brief call.

Sun 19 Feb

2 linnets in bare tree top of Shadiker hyrax colony (4 preening there yesterday), stonechat on scrub on way down from valley road to north watercourse.. another on scrub near north watercourse soon after it emerges into open.
Also, jays heard and glimpsed in pines up from north watercourse, chiffchaffs also heard and glimpsed there, syrian woodpecker call near look out corner, chukar partridge 2 near shaft area, .. and great spotted cuckoo flew into pines at look out corner and MUCH vocalization and a couple of pure tone calls, like ''hooot hooot' odd, almost sounded from something tech.

Great tit , some song and one calling and foraging in our willow.

At least 6 gazelle about, grazing, 3 bachelors in each other's company near north watercourse amongst the eucalyptus. Farther along near service road male following female and well grown young.

garden and street: much bulbul vocalization.. feral pigeons huddling in shelter, jackdaw activity, hooded crows, laughing doves foraging but relatively quiet, house sparrows as noisy as usual, no parakeets or sunbirds noticed.

East watercourse flowing over trail near look out corner, about 8 degrees, gusting breezes WNW, rain on and off, some thunder and hail, last couple of days but sky pretty clear, and some sun for our walk. last night down to about 3.5 degrees.

Monday 20th Feb

temp time of our walk around 8 degrees C , winds very light, sky full of altocumulus. As we arrived at north loop of valley road no linnets in that tree but arrived as we watched till 6, and saw/heard more over north watercourse.
3 gazelle , bachelors by north watercourse.. one with very impressive horns alone, two with somewhat smaller.
great tit song again, later, Eurasian jay glimpsed, syrian woodpecker heard, peeping of chiffchaffs heard. stonechat on top of sapling tube near open north watercourse. graceful warbler?
Hooded crows about all day but no jackdaws.. flock gone off foraging elsewhere. Feral pigeons flock in flight, house sparrows, laughing dove coos, ring neck parakeet visit, Simone Alexander mentioned they roost in palms in street corner adjacent to ours. yellow vented Bulbuls vocal but again sunbirds not heard, nor blackbirds.

Tuesday 21st Feb

garden: house sparrows, laughing dove coos, bulbul vocalizations and Akiva heard ring neck parakeet earlier. Did not see or hear any sunbirds and neither feral pigeons nor white wagtails out and about today.

Time of walk temp just over 12 degrees, sky clear, a couple of gazelle in the Pistacia grove,
First saw one, no visible horns, young one.. then adult male emerged from pines, walked down, young one passed it and it turned and followed.

hyrax scampering over boulders up from pumping station, rest keeping low profile in cool. 'indoors', Syrian woodpeckers seen and heard euc grove by cistern, Eurasian jays between trees and some calls, stonechats pair on scrub beyond cistern.. separated by a few yards but close enough to be pair in same territory, Prinias some calls heard from look out corner, jackdaws vocalizations throughout day, chiffchaffs vocalizations in pine canopies throughout walk, did not check linnet tree as loud firecrackers in that area probably spooked them.
Akiva likely glimpsed a black redstart at rubble but went for cover and we didn't see it again.
Akiva heard kestrel up by tall building up hill but didn't see take flight. LOts of hoodie activity behind pumping station esp. as light fell. Blackbirds and great tits quiet today.

lots and lots of white speedwell esp by east watercourse, spring groundsel, red anemone, roman squill, asphodel and also noticed wood sorrel (by start of valley road) and ramping fumitory (by east watercourse dirt road) starting to bloom.

Wed 22 Feb

in 'linnet tree' (bare tree at top of Shadiker hyrax colony) linnet in SONG, sweet to hear, a little later joined by another, a covey of chukars chuckling anxiously across the north valley and up to west, possibly disturbed by firecracker, calls of great spotted cuckoo at look out corner in the three pines, likely there's a hoodie nest in there, stonechat by north watercourse in open as before but diff. perch, chiffchaffs 1 seen in acacia on way down, others calling in pine canopies, great tits by trail down from valley road to north watercourse road, syrian woodpecker calls near look out corner, jackdaws, hoodies, (calls heard from house) collared doves, 2 on line over the waterway confluence, graceful warblers around gazelle field and a sparrowhawk flying north over gazelle field.
No sunbirds or blackbirds. Watched rubble for a while again but no black redstart. No jays.. seem fewer of them now.
Garden: lots of house sparrows, laughing doves foraging and in song, bulbul vocalisations, feral pigeons in flight. Later about 10.30 p.m. stone curlew from direction of hidden watercourse area.

23rd Feb

First swifts! At least 5 over tall building where kestrels noticed, flying to and fro, first one, then noticed two then several more appeared.. (Akiva heard sound earlier passing by there, thought maybe already chicks? That type of noise, did get some views, perching on tv aerial sticking out from top corner, also one flew over us quite high towards Hizmah.

Syrian woodpecker calls, great tit various calls and some song, graceful warbler song, hawfinch, scrap that 'brambling' of a few days ago, same tree tall cypress pumphouse hyrax colony, same appearance better view.. apparent dark nape silhouette contrast, then it flew down to pines betw. saplings and pumphouse.

some chukar like hyrax barking , prob because some small boys in area. collared dove on line over east watercourse

garden and street: house sparrows, jackdaws, hooded crows, laughing doves, bulbuls.

buckler's mustard in flower, no seed pods yet, various geraniums including round leafed, got pic. looked for green orchid, found carmel bee orchid down from valley road just north of central trail.
Still no blackbirds or sunbirds seen or heard.

25 th Feb 2012

Garden: house sparrows, laughing dove (coos) , ring neck parakeet (early morning) , yellow vented bulbul vocalizations,
sunbird (in cape honeysuckle but quiet)
Street: feral pigeons, jackdaws, hooded crows.

forest: many chiffchaff vocalisations, blackbird song several locations including especially interesting songster at castor oil trees,

Most notable.. flying north over north watercourse, calling, V shape formation, common cranes, 18/19 , same time european cuckoo called twice in trees just west of bat cave. More European cuckoo calls somewhere in east watercourse at dusk. Syrian woodpecker calls.

great tit song, stonechat in scrub near cistern pine, black redstart on rebar at rubble,

kestrel in tall buildings top of hill, a few swifts flying over.

greenfinch & linnet twitters? No jays or chukars or gazelle. Hyrax heard pumphouse colony.

26th Feb sunny, mild, scattered cloud of various types.

In and around garden: house sparrows, laughing doves foraging and cooing, blackbird song, graceful warbler calls, bulbul calls. Jackdaws and hooded crows farther off. Feral pigeon to roof. no sunbird

Woods,hill: lark calls up on hill to north, also kestrel call, answered by some other towards neighbourhood.. this one was flying back southish from direction of the olive vale. stone curlew calls towards dusk.

group of (Akiva counted 11) adult male gazelle up from butterfly saddle, headed across hidden watercourse and up to ridge this side of olive vale. Great spotted cuckoo call to our west.

stonechat on our way down from valley road to north watercourse dirt road, chiffchaffs in trees, many calls, some great tit calls, occasional syrian woodpecker, again, notable lack of Eurasian jays.

Many cyclamen out on hillslopes across north watercourse as well as roman squill, purple cress, shepherd's purse, red anemone and other small and colourful jobs.

27th Feb

Garden: house sparrows , ring neck parakeets about when sun up, later, laughing doves, hooded crows, bulbuls. No sunbirds. No jackdaws noticed today either.

stonechat in scrub by north watercourse, black redstart at bunker rubble. Syrian woodpeckers heard. Lots of chiffchaff vocalizations, collared doves in pines, not cooing yet but when they go from tree to tree the whirr of their wings easily heard.

From vocalizations heard in young pine near service road , clear calls of graceful warbler, many scolding churrs of great tit.. interaction or both alarmed over same thing? I don't think graceful warbler would want to nest up there. More graceful warbler calls towards watercourse, great tits moved to another pine across dirt road. European cuckoo heard a couple of times.

At least 6 adult male gazelle just beyond bat cave, together, grazing peacefully and moving on.

Looked for orchids, particularly Ophrys lutea in woods between shaft and valley road.. succeeded and photographed.. also found lots more Egyptian alkanet, flowering deadnettle, red pheasants eye (also found a larger orange pheasant's eye yesterday on other side of north watercourse) and the borage which looks like tiny monkwort, I forget the name, quite plentiful, and some flowering Bongardia. Most pleased about pink flower, tiny florets, by trail.. head of page.. totally unfamiliar. Must find!

28th Feb

cool, blowy afternoon, dust in the sky, too much so for the swifts to fly today but were finches about, chaffinches, linnets, (1 linnet in linnet tree, female chaffinch in acacia nearby, as well as a chiffchaff and a bulbul and possibly other stuff, flock of finches in flight to and fro over neighbourhood)

also including stonechats, female on sapling tube near north watercourse, male on scrub near cistern pine, Eurasian jays couple of places in pines but quiet, a sparrowhawk flew over from neighbourhood to bat cave area.. as it flew over acacia something in there called two very thin high pitched notes but don't know which bird.. clearly a hawk alarm. Pair of great spotted cuckoos in pines behind look-out corner.. heard grating call, quite low, then one after other flew out. , chiffchaffs some contact calls, great tits scolds but no song or clear notes and a singing blackbird mid east watercourse. Hyrax barking,

a group of 11 gazelle, females and well grown young this time amongst small cypress by north watercourse, and some aggression/skittishness amongst the females, almost head butting and bouncing about.

pink butterfly orchid (species #3) of the season found and a new vetch, like Palestine vetch but with markings, fine stripes.

29th Feb

walk rained out. Heard from here, house sparrows, laughing doves, yellow vented bulbuls, sunbird visited Bauhinia this morning, calling, first time I've heard them so vocally active in days.. calls of jackdaws and hooded crows.

February first half

2012-02-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

View Larger Map

satellite map of Mir forest (Neve Yaakov forest) and surrounded fields (bounded to north and east by security wall and fence, to south and west by Pisgat Zeev and Neve Yaakov.

1st Feb.

cold!

did get some birds between rainfalls about 40 mins starting about 4.30 ish, valley road to bridge. garden: house sparrows, heard hooded crows , jackdaws and collared dove and ring neck parakeets. sunbird calls cape honeysuckle, feral pigeon on solar boiler.

Collared dove near pumping station flying into tree, syrian woodpecker calls, great tit (some song) calls near Shadiker hyrax colony, Prinia calls, blackbird alarm, bulbul various calls from north watercourse area , white wagtails over, eurasian jay in cypresses by valley road, other finches and warblers in pine tree canopies barely glimpsed but for one lone linnet (?) (striated with hint of pink but no other details) calling repeatedly and plaintively on top of pine as if to say ''where'd they all go??'' .white wagtails over, calls, activity warblers, finches pine canopies not IDd. Temp between 6 & 7 degrees, some sleet earlier, rain most of last day , some hail.

2nd Feb.

this afternoon: pleasant walk, cool/mild, sunny with cumulus. Sapling field blooming with much spring groundsel, a small orange composite and lilac/violet coloured Roman storksbill. Birds included chukar partridge, a pair of kestrels, bulbuls, jays, linnets, white wagtail and such, several gazelle about including a buck chasing a female on shepherd's trail, and barks of hyraxes. First monkwort blooming. May post some pics a bit later.

4th Feb

dense flowered fumitory seen flowering again for first time this season today! Also, various wild geraniums and more asphodel, red anemone and spring groundsel. birds included kestrels, chukar partridge, Prinias, black redstart, stonechat, ring neck parakeets, sunbird, yellow vented bulbul, collared and laughing doves.. also gazelle, male chasing female.

5th Feb

lovely walk .. found first Roman squill and Malcolmia of the season, a small herd of gazelle in NE field, some grazing, some friskily romping around, in head butting mood, Syrian woodpeckers, chukar partridge, stonechat, Prinias and a blackbird singing in the pines as dusk deepened & Venus shone in the western sky.

6th Feb

We got glimpse of a sparrowhawk by look out corner, also stonechat on our way down.. we got a pic of it, not great but recognizable.. may post later.. calls of syrian woodpecker, Prinia, yellow vented bulbul, chukar partridges and a sunbird in the cape honeysuckle on our way out. 9 gazelle grazing in north east field/lower hillslopes, also a little running about and play/sparring .

Tues 7 feb

found some white broom blooming today! Mandrakes also beginning to flower. Overcast, temps down today from 15 ish yesterday to about 7, 8 winds cold enough to make earaches and most sensible birds had sought cover.. not a single feral pigeon visible on any rooftop and most common birds silent and out of sight but white wagtails flying in small groups to roost till sunset. Sunbird in cape honeysuckle on the way out, stone curlew heard once at dusk way over beyond forest, and bachelor herd, group of 12 adult male gazelle seen grazing just across north watercourse. Earlier in and about garden: lots of house sparrows, jackdaws and hoodies on rooftops, squawks of ring neck parakeets,

Wed 8 Feb

garden: lots of house sparrows coming down as usual for chicken feed, calls of ring neck parakeets but still not seen coming down into garden, melodious bulbul calls, jackdaws, hooded crows, white wagtail calls from street, feral pigeon on top of building, laughing dove coos and foraging on ground.. again no sunbird

Just under 10 degrees C at about 4,30 p.m. winds light WSW, humidity 49%.. adult male gazelle top of the shepherd's trail looking down at us, dusk bark of hyrax up bank from gazelle road, black redstart bunker rubble, on diagonal blocks and rebar, stonechat over near bat cave, , kestrel hunting from line over hilliside, Syrian woodpeckers look out corner, Eurasian jay in pine by north watercourse trail, Prinia calls, great tit call. Chukar calls heard over north watercourse, blackbird alarm calls in east pines. Great tit calls by north watercourse.

Thurs 9 Feb

Garden, from house earlier.. house sparrows, ring neck parakeet, melodious bulbul calls, jackdaws, hooded crow & feral pigeon on roof, white wagtails.

4.20 p.m. temp just under 9 degrees, very light south westerly winds & about 60% humidity.

Found 11 female and well grown young gazelle grazing by north watercourse.. male and female stonechat nearby, black redstart near cistern on the rubble again.. at least one comes there every winter for last few years.. could be same individual.. also several collared doves on line near confluence , a blackbird in song near east watercouse competing with all the sunset muezzins and sunbird in the cape honeysuckle by our entrance.

Friday 10 Feb

Garden: sunbird and graceful warbler in cape honeysuckle pair seen foraging over me, blackbird in song in gardens towards sunset. Jackdaws, house sparrows, laughing doves and Hooded crows. Briefly, ring neck parakeet, white wagtail. Stone curlews somewhere in east field near windsurfer hill later, after dark.

Saturday 11 Feb

Garden: sunbird in cape honeysuckle heard briefly. Early afternoon two hoodies harassing apparently sparrowhawk circling high above road, striped tail, not sure. Another raptor circling over road a bit farther south but couldn't make out enough detail if kestrel or sparrowhawk.

Watched hoodie on roof.. alternated three note call, higher and purer attention grabbing note and lower more croaky notes.. appeared to have some nesting material it would pick up and put down again.. advertising?

Jackdaws, feral pigeons, hooded crows, house sparrows on roofs. Bulbuls heard a number of times, ring neck parakeet briefly. laughing doves foraging in garden and coos. Some blackbird song next door garden, other side from last night.

Valley: Heard white breasted kingfisher, flying up and down east valley watercourse towards sunset.. have not heard it in months so good to hear it again!

Also: 3 gazelle near almond row, adult male gazelle heading from lower east field into Pistacia orchard area, two others Akiva glimpsed. 1 adult hyrax by Shadiker colony near trail, foraging.

Sunday 12 Feb

blackbird singing in gardens this morning about nineish, bulbul calls, sunbird in cape honeysuckle, the usual laughing doves, house sparrows, feral pigeons, hooded crows, jackdaws, white wagtails about, ring neck parakeets squawking by mid afternoon. In the woods, Syrian woodpecker calls, Eurasian jays, Prinias and other small insectivorous jobs deep in the pine canopies, collared dove on a line, glimpse of sparrowhawk.

The lobed purple flowers of deadnettle have begun to bloom by the roadside.

No gazelle or hyrax found today. No black redstart at rubble.

Temps around 14 degrees C, winds still.

Monday 13th Feb

A few gazelle grazing by north watercourse, blackbird song, (next door's garden and by east watercourse) chiffchaffs foraging in acacias and pines, syrian woodpecker calls and stone curlew brief call on the way back as caught by Akiva.. usual birdy gang in the garden and street: bulbuls calling earlier, sunbird brief in cape honeysuckle, laughing doves cooing and foraging, ring neck parakeets by mid afternoon. House sparrows, feral pigeons on roof, jackdaws, hooded crows, brief graceful warbler call.

Temps just over 15 after 4, high altitude mixed clouds as yesterday, mostly sunny, light westerlies.

Tuesday 14th Feb

garden: house sparrows foraging, laughing doves also, and cooing. Jackdaws, hooded crows, ring neck parakeet, bulbuls about street, sunbirds in entrance as usual, not sure if white wagtails, not so obvious today.

By 4.30 p.m overcast but mild/warm, over 15 degrees C. great tits, chiffchaffs vocal, blackbird singing near pumping station, sparrowhawk up slopes windsurfer somewhere, syrian woodpeckers heard, graceful warblers briefly, great tit various calls by north watercourse trail including some song end of Shadiker. Black redstart absent from rubble nor stonechats seen or heard. Left already?

bachelor herd gazelle on hill ridge to north, at least 7.

shepherd's purse blooming last few days, lots of red anemone and spring groundsel, Roman squill, now also noticing thorny burnet flowering. Polygonum, wild mustard by roadside.

January 2012

2012-01-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

A number of these tiny snails found on north facing hillslope up from north watercourse dirtroad, near some flowering Gagea.

1 of the two first flowering cyclamen found, unusally light coloured.

Almond blossom buds low on the largest almond tree in the valley.

clouds over Adam, to NE. on jan 4th

Wed. 4 Jan

Increase in laughing dove and bulbul vocalizations in last few days. Much house sparrow vocalization, jackdaws, feral pigeons and hooded crows about, calling occasionally, ring neck parakeets heard at least once a day visiting gardens noisily.

Afternoon in walk.. clear skies, just under 12 degrees C.
Gazelle 5, one near path from north corner valley road down to north watercourse dirt road. Another four near the north watercourse, eucalyptus grove.

Chiffchaff contact calls in pine canopies, male stonechat top of bush by dry stone wall betw cistern to windsurfer hill dirt road and olive grove. Black redstart nice view male dry stone wall forepart of gazelle field a few days back. Occasional Tristram's starling call last few days.

Wed 5 Jan,

drop in temp. about 8 degrees and dark clouds coming in from west.
gazelle 19: 1 buck in pines near bat cave across north watercourse, another at least 8 females and well grown young just beyond small cypress in open by north watercourse, a little to east of bat cave, lower slopes windsurfer hill, crossing dirtroad up hill ahead of us, 7. Three more grazing in sapling field near pumping station , headed into pines across east watercourse.

calls of Jays as we descended to north watercourse dirt road. jackdaws, hoodies about, syrian woodpecker call, graceful warbler call.. as we came back up valley road, saw hoodie make a lunge at some bird in the air, which then flew up'stream' towards pumping station.. sparrowhawk. White wagtail calls, flying over.

garden: house sparrows, laughing doves.

Sat 7 Jan

calls hyraxes slopes by pumphouse station

Sunday 8 Jan

today: birds included: sunbird in song, laughing doves, yellow vented bulbuls, jackdaws, hooded crows, syrian woodpeckers, Prinias, sparrowhawk, chiffchaffs, chaffinches.

Gazelles: 11+ 3 adult males near north watercourse dirt road, in various places and group of females and well grown young grazing just beyond the almond tree row.

Mon 9 Jan

Heard from this chair through the window so far today: white wagtails, sunbird, jackdaws, hooded crows, ring necked parakeets, cooing laughing dove, and of course, house sparrows.
On north slope.. lots of cyclamen foliage but no blooms yet, asphodel foliage getting higher, many mounds of mole rats, quite a few with holes, a couple like small volcanoes, one with two neat very small holes at top, as if punched through by front paws.. ventilation? Blackbirds heard in song in two locations.

Asphodels found blooming mid week near east watercourse! A few savyon.. spring groundsel Senecio vernalis, blooming edges of sapling field.

midweek: black redstart at pomegranate tree, another on a boulder, edge of east field.

Thurs 12 Jan

2 adult male gazelle, 1 by north watercourse, other on slopes up from east watercourse dirt road near bridge, black redstarts 1 on pomegranate tree by cistern, one on boulder, edge of east field, sparrowhawks, syrian woodpecker in euc grove, chiffchaffs, stonechats, graceful warblers, white wagtails.

~8 degrees C, winds very still.

rains on and off end of week.

Sat 14 Jan

gazelle 4: at least two subadult gazelle up shepherd's trail from east watercourse dirt road. 1 long horned adult male near east watercourse just north of sapling field.. could have been the alpha male from windsurfer hill herd. Another adult male some way farther north in woods.

blackbird in song again near central trail, also near cyclamen banks, by north watercourse. Hooded crows, jackdaws, graceful warblers, chiffchaff contact calls.

Garden: house sparrows, calls of ring neck parakeet. Some sunbird song

Sun 15th Jan

Fresh mandrake foliage found this afternoon. Cyclamens haven't bloomed yet but watched a few gazelle graze by north watercourse, by a young pine grove while chiffchaffs, chaffinches, graceful warblers, bulbuls, hoodies called in the trees. Also white wagtails flying over & jackdaws.

Mon 16th Jan

cool, sunny, clear skies, 4 gazelle, 3 subadults where watercourses meet, 1 adult male in east watercourse near look out corner, sparrowhawk over service road, hoodie brief harry, bulbuls edge neighbhourhood, covey of chukars just down from valley road, chiffchaffs pine canopies, laughing doves edge of neighbourhood, collared doves 9 up on lines edge north field by road.

Sat 21st Jan

Partly clouded, mostly cumulus, cool/mild

no gazelle about but did get great views of a large brown falcon preening and in flight, perched on cypress by bat cave, right after chasing some other raptor.. (sparrowhawk?) , after some preening and looking about, took off, circling briefly over north watercourse in open , then headed south east. After some examination of guidebook pics Akiva agrees might be Saker, (relatively rare winterer but suitable habitat)

Rich earth brown back, , signif darker larger than kestrel, quite dark head, suggestion of falcon markings on head, darker outer primaries in flight, tail darkish esp last third, no clear bars.

as well as sparrowhawk, Eurasian jay, stonechats, chiffchaffs, jackdaws, hoodies, white wagtails, Prinias and stone curlew calling repeatedly on our way back. Feral pigeon on roof, cooing laughing dove in garden earlier, white wagtail calls, lots of house sparrows.

24th Jan.

Found first blooming cyclamen near north watercourse dirt road, 2 almost white blooms. Also lots of Gagea now. (Damascus gagea?) None of others blooming yet but noticed underside of leaves almost as purple as bougainvillea.

some blackbird song and alarm call, whistle of wings of relocating collared doves in pines near cistern, black redstart on rebar there, , Eurasian jay calls, chiffchaffs and Stonechats on foliage clumps in field? distant.,

At sunset watched a group of 7 mountain gazelle running to and fro far north field, so fleet and frisky, a little mock sparring and chasing, some bounding, looked like they were running about just doing it for the pure delight of it. At least one adult male, couldn't make out others, distance and light but didn't look like bachelor group.

5 hyraxes shadiker colony, grown, on boulder facing out from centre.

Sunday 29 Jan

weather, cool, clear skies

In and about garden earlier: house sparrows, yellow vented bulbul, laughing doves on ground and cooing, calls of ring neck parakeet and yellow vented bulbuls. Feral pigeons on water boiler on roof. sunbirds heard and spotted in cape honeysuckle a number of times over the last week.

nice walk, Several gazelle, two by north watercourse like this one, a few more buck up on the hill, two sparring. Also some sparrowhawks about (they winter here), calls of chiffchaff, chaffinch, Syrian woodpeckers and a black redstart on the rubble near the cistern.

Monday 30th Jan

rained pretty much all day. Heard from house so far.. house sparrows, hooded crows, yellow vented bulbuls, ring neck parakeet, jackdaws, laughing doves, sunbirds

Tuesday 31st Jan

So far today (early afternoon) through the window: house sparrows, laughing doves, yellow vented bulbuls, ring neck parakeets and jackdaws.. we're still putting down sunflower seeds to try to tempt the parakeets to land .. on the ground or the chicken coop.. but havn't caught them at it yet. Doesn't help that two of the feral cats were hanging out on top of the coop.

we missed the 'sparrowhawk flyover' (one always flies over about the same place on the north trail around sunset) but did see a few gazelle, black redstart on the rubble, hoodies, feral pigeons, peeping probable chiffchaffs in the pine canopies and wild red amenones and white speedwell starting to bloom.

December

2011-12-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

lots of mole rat activity lately, notably this, north watercourse dirt road as it approaches look-out corner. 15 Dec.

House centipede, Scutigera

Thursday 1 December

4.30 p.m. to sunset:

2 white wagtails on tv antenna on Elias calling single high notes, adult male gazelle up from north watercourse trail, stonechats calling from various locations by north watercourse. Hooded crows returning singly from forage, feral pigeon flying between Shadiker roofs, House sparrows in gardens.

Sunday 4th December

Ah lovely invigorating walk back through the cool forest dusk , a waxing moon, Jupiter and Venus shining in the sky. Pretty quiet walk.. stonechats, Syrian woodpeckers, chiffchaffs, (latter, glimpsed foraging in pine canopy but no good views.. lots of contact calls) hoodies, (gathering in eucalyptus canopies near look out corner at dusk) jackdaw some calls, collared dove (left euc canopy, possibly because of hoodies, and headed across fore part of gazelle field to younger pines) , white wagtails (a couple on Elias near their favourite tree). Laughing doves and sparrows in the garden after the chicken chow.

No black redstart at rubble, no gazelle seen in usual places unless too dim to see by then.

Shabbat similar but glimpse of probable sparrowhawk over north watercourse area, and graceful warbler heard.

Monday 5th December

Just under 16 degrees C just after 4 p.m. hooded crows returning home from forage, a couple of sparrowhawk sightings, one from bat cave trees to eucs by north watercourse, then across the dirt road towards owl glade as we have seen many times about sunset, other seen flying over Pistacia orchard a short while later.. could have been same bird or another. 5 gazelle, females and well grown young, grazing on the hillside to NE, stonechat calls in field near look-out corner. Contact calls probably chiffchaffs, brief chaffinch call probably.

Tuesday 6th December

Clear skies again. Garden: laughing doves, house sparrows, sunbird calling in cape honeysuckle. Street: hoodies, jackdaws. Akiva heard Tristram's starling fly over. Woods: graceful warbler, Syrian woodpecker.

Gazelle . at least 8 today: Buck gazelle with esp. long horns euc. grove by north watercourse, Gazelle heading into Pistacias, the usual buck there. Then, as we approached the bridge on east watercourse dirt course group of at least half a dozen gazelle crossed dirt road from pumphouse end of sapling field and headed up hill.. good grazing there now. Lots of winter crocus on the shepherd's trail. No stonechats seen or heard on field today but sparrowhawk seen flying from low east field to woods.

Wednesday 7 Dec.

We found several Dianthus, in singles, by north watercourse dirt road. Most Varthemia gone to seed but I did find a flower still. Ragwort, Inula, some still flowering, some in seed. Polygonum still flowering esp. below Lev Aryeh.

At the quarry a black redstart was using a 30 m high hopper for flycatcher like tactics and Tristram's starlings were using a derelict building as home base, whistles echoing inside. We heard a kestrel, saw hyraxes amongst the rubble .. also Syrian woodpecker on tree up slope, Prinias, calls, a covey of chukars, at least 10 in file, some calls, (third way up opp. slope north watercourse) and a blackbird calling alarm in the advancing dusk below end shadiker, in pines.

plus house sparrows, (street, gardens) white wagtails, (flying over to roost) chaffinches,(calling in pines by north watercourse, and glimpsed) sunbird,(calling in cape honeysuckle, contact calls) jays, (calling in pines) jackdaws and hoodies, calls and glimpsed.

Thursday 8th December

Cold front coming in from the west late afternoon, splatters of raindrops on walk.

gardens: house sparrows, jackdaw calls. Akiva heard Tristram's starling heading over, higher.

gazelle: At least 5 bachelor males grazing near north watercourse just west of bat cave, at least 10 females and well grown young with one adult male not far east of bat cave, lower slopes.

white wagtails seen and heard flying over , building top level or higher, calling, heading to roost.

Hoodies about in singles.

Sunday/Monday 12 Dec.

up from east watercourse dirt road, treed slopes windsurfer, alarm calls, sounded like 2 European robins, two locations about 100 feet apart. A few gazelle, chaffinch call, then seen on top of cypress though white bar on wing looked very like that of hawfinch, still, chaffinch head. Do they hybridize?

House centipede on wall in house, one of Scutigera, prob. S. coleoptrata.

Tues. 13 Dec

4 gazelle: 2 adult males in pines up from north watercourse dirt road, betw. their and owl glade. Male and female in Pistacia orchard, two grazing by coral gum, gazelle field, female and young or two well grown young.

hoodies about, haven't seen jackdaws last few days, flock moved off to better foraging grounds probably. street: house sparrows, feral pigeons. Sparrowhawk fly over shortly after sunset bat cave to owl glade area, as seen in past numerous times. No stonechats or black redstarts.

Wed 14th Dec

Overcast but mild. Watched a chiffchaff forage all over an acacia, calling every now and again while a European robin bobbed silently in the middle, so I waited a while to get a good view of the latter. (first actual sighting this season though several calls heard) . Later, more chiffchaff calls in various parts of the pinewoods, an alarmed robin down by the east watercourse just upstream from look-out corner, probably territorial, prob. a second robin vying for territory there, hoodies, Prinia, sparrowhawk's usual sunset flyover.

Thur 15 Dec.

From house: afternoon, numerous white wagtail calls, some jackdaw calls, so they're back from whatever foraging excursion took up the first half of the week, house sparrows of course. Ring neck parakeet calls.

Hoodies about. On walk, other side north watercourse adult male modest horns followed, a few metres behind by one with impressive horns. Syrian woodpecker calls numerous. As we walked up dirt road to windsurfer, cypresses on our right, high pitched call 'teee teee teee' I thought maybe goldcrest? Haven't found matching call. Suitable habitat though they are relatively rare winterers. Chiffchaff calls. On the way back along valley road dusk.. 'chick chick' calls of robins, two individuals from the sound of it.

Sat 17 Dec.

From house: day: heard, for first time in a while, laughing doves cooing.. also house sparrows, calls of ring neck parakeet and jackdaws. Akiva heard sunbird/s. In valley: Syrian woodpeckers, 2 adult male gazelle, one up on ridge to north(east), another in pines near owl glade, sparrowhawk, heading from direction of hidden watercourse to pines, over north dirt road, again over Pistacias a little later. Blackbird heard chakking near pumphouse, farther south. Stone curlew from direction of hidden watercourse. Chiffchaff contact calls.

greenfinch SONG briefly midday.

Thur 22nd Dec

Today walked up to butterfly saddle betw. north watercourse and hidden watercourse, at least 9 adult male gazelle in the area, between east watercourse and ridge to NE. Two with best horns sparring for a few mins in pines betw. just down and east of butterfly area..

relatively quiet lately. Robin very brief view in cypress on slopes near gazelle today, silhouette but Akiva also heard the call. Also in last few days glimpses of Sparrowhawks, Syrian woodpeckers active and vocal, jackdaws, hoodies. In gardens: house sparrows, brief visits by ring neck parakeets pretty much every day over this week, some bulbul calls but not very much in evidence. sunbirds heard esp. in cape honeysuckle.

That castor oil plant now has multiple spikes and a few inches taller than I am!

Sat 24th Dec.

After several days of mild temps , 15 degrees C and over.. winds in afternoon , clouds coming in from west about sunset, rain in dark continuing into small hours thank God!

On treed hillslope up from east watercourse dirt road, a little south of shepherd's trail, a group of gazelle in file along contour trail to south, females and well grown young. Out on east field crossing dirt road up windsurfer hill.. 6 gazelle trailed by adult male. Has that (east field/windsurfer hill) herd split then into two distinct groups? Will be watching.

Chaffinch heard, seen close to pumphouse, top of cypress. Hoodies about, one mobbing a kestrel flying over west slopes of windsurfer hill.. which they probably see as their airspace. Chiffchaffs heard. From house, house sparrows, a greenfinch twitter early afternoon, ring neck parakeet later.

Sun 25th Dec

drizzling .. valley road.. small chat like bird hopping on ground on valley road.. as we approached flew up into acacia... and perched quite out in open middle upper branches, good view .. grey head, dull orange red underparts, dark back, general jizz robin/chat, I'd say first winter male common redstart.. first common redstart I've found in our area but probably not first here, just most prob. keep themselves better hidden.

Mon 26th Dec.

Sunny, sky pale blue, house sparrows chirrupping, ring neck parakeets by a little earlier.. Just over 10 degres C at start of walk, shortly after 4 p.m now. Feral pigeon flock over Shadiker.

3 bachelor gazelle grazing near north watercourse, an adult male by Pistacias and a group of 5 well grown young/females in field just beyond, threading their way between thorny burnet and ragwort gone to seed, jumping onto and along dry stone walls..

hooded crows over area and about, feral cats hunting amongst the hyrax rocks, latter keeping a low profile,

white wagtails were calling as small flocks of them passed over to roost, calls of bulbul and Prinia. (earlier part of report and pic below this on my profile page), Slim shining crescent of the New moon of Tevet in the western sky on our return.

Tuesday 27th Dec.

11 gazelle in east field 1 well grown young which ran into lower east field as we came through Pistacia grove.. then the rest grazing near fence, between the olive grove and NE foot of windsurfer hill, adult male off by himself closer to the hill, chaffinch call, chiffchaff contact calls, white wagtails calls as they flew over, graceful warbler near large almond, bulbuls in neighbourhood, hoodies, jackdaws and a group of some melodious brown jobs in east field, larks I think but didn't get good views but probably crested.

Wednesday, Thursday 28th, 29th Dec.

Gazelle active , a number of bucks by north watercourse, several in the new pine grove by the service road for a change. Other gazelle in east field, four young ones head of shepherd's trail. Two adult male gazelle seen sparring betw. butterfly saddle and bat cave but don't recall exactly which day. 19 altogether seen one day.

Pick-up in bulbul calls and laughing dove coos heard in last few days in gardens. More ring neck parakeet calls.

Saturday 31st Dec

Most extraordinary, as walking along east watercourse dirt road saw raptor weaving fast betw trees below canopy level, falcon, dark grey, darker head, from what we saw matches peregrine falcon best!

When we reached top of shepherd's trail Akiva saw brown bird take off from ground and fly with abrupt turn and out of sight.. from what info we could gather fit snipe, which I've seen on Jerusalem hills on winter on other occasions. Unfortunately both above views very brief for better confirmation.

gazelle and hyrax not seen though hoofprints of course, but did hear syrian woodpeckers and blackbirds, and probably chiffchaff contact calls.

Found blooming Golden drop by wall at edge of neighbourhood.. don't think we've seen them so early before but sheltered location.

November 2011

2011-11-07T07:20:00.001-08:00

Winter crocus, Crocus hyemalis, found blooming along saddle watercourse trail, midday on 28th

Monday 7th Nov.

Rain with thunder and lightning a couple of days ago, a fair fall. Temps have dropped a lot to just over 10 degrees C at night, today up to 18.5 degrees max. (1.30 p.m.)

Sky almost clear of clouds! Sparrowhawks at least two.. calls and fly byes.. one from trees by bat cave.. heard calls, then it crossed north watercourse and headed towards east valley, other , Akiva believed not same one, skirted edge of east field, At any rate we heard calls from north field somewhere after first had flown south so def. at least 2 in area if not three or more.

Syrian woodpeckers, calling and seen in eucalyptus grove by bunker rubble, stonechats heard around cistern, seen in fields by dry stone walls betw. us and small olive grove.. in one, male with female ,

jays active and vocal various places, jackdaws several score around open ground, buildings south end Hizmeh hill, hoodies passing over from north to south in singles, some calls, returning from forage likely, collared doves at least four up on lines over near where the watercourses meet, , some very vocal Prinias by dry stone walls by small olive grove, several gazelle, two in the Pistacia grove and other places in the valley, and the sunbird in the cape honeysuckle STILL singing.

Still no black redstart by bunker rubble , sad. None seen by dry stone walls either.

Sunbird heard singing in cape honeysuckle quite a lot lately.. house sparrows about garden, laughing doves foraging on ground quite regular and the occasional bulbuls passing through gardens, various calls. Occasional ring neck parakeet calls.

Akiva has heard occasional stone curlew call lately but not so often now.

Sunday 13th November

quite mild.. sky pale porcelain blue with scattered altocumulus, gazelle were up grazing on the western slopes of 'windsurfer hill' 2 in sight, rest probably around out of sight on western face (we were looking from north) Syrian woodpecker call, great tit churr and and chaffinch calls in the pinesnear descent to dirt road, chiffchaff (?)high contact calls (by central trail) , stonechat calls just after sunset as light fails out in the east field field, hyrax barks from their colonies, sparrowhawk glimpsed over north watercourse, and the usual jackdaws and hoodies
calls from a covey of chukars over across the north watercourse yesterday as well as most other birds as today.

Garden: house sparrows, laughing doves, sunbirds, bulbuls usual most days lately.

Monday 14th Nov.

Walked back from Pisgat Zeev mid morning, via saddle watercourse. a mature shaggy coated hyrax on sentry duty near pumping station, where, to my amazement, some mullein still blooming, or blooming again, second wind due to rains. Jerusalem autumn crocus many places western slopes of windsurfer and in one place, a little blooming thyme
stonechats calling in fields, sunbirds, bulbuls in gardens, white wagtails over street, jackdaws, laughing doves and others about.

quite a few white butterflies seen, surprisingly also a salmon Arab right by foot of stairs to our entrance.

Afternoon: chaffinch calls near pumping station, east watercourse flowing, had reached about level with ascent up shepherd's trail when we got there.. jays, jackdaw flock up hill, hoodies,
15 Nov. Tuesday

Cooler today, misty in the east, Max 15 degrees C today, just over 12 degrees for most of walk, humidity about 50%.

street: house sparrows, laughing doves, bulbul
woods: Jay, Syrian woodpecker, those high pitched contact calls again but still couldn't get a glimpse, but clearly seasonal.

gazelle: At least 3 well horned bachelor males euc. grove/bat cave north watercourse area.

Hooded crows mobbing large hawk, mid/pale even brownish mostly rather than barred but not good view.

East field no gazelles noticed, whistle calls of small jobs but not seen, prob stonechats but didn't hear the chak chak call, covey of chukars filing away from us on one of the trails, towards the hill

Wednesday 23 Nov

4 p.m. and it's about 16 degrees C, up on yesterday

some gazelle behaviour at least 6, group lower north hill slopes, at least one buck but most females and well grown males.. one female looked very skittish, running about, nervous, several high back kicks.

Two more near bridge treed slopes to east of east watercourse dirt road.. both snorting, clear view of one, adult male, other presumably also, snorted in turn.

sparrowhawk seen and heard calling in trees by bat cave, chaffinches calls, chiffchaffs, presumably high contact calls, stonechats in fields by north watercourse, hooded crows tree tops and flying over, singles, jackdaw flock again absent. Stone curlew heard about 5.20 p.m. already dark.

House sparrows seen and heard in the garden, prob also laughing doves but not seen. Bulbuls or sunbirds not heard at all last couple of days. Feral pigeons on roof tops, still, just perched.

lots of autumn crocus

Thursday 24th November

Black redstart - on a dry stone wall in the east field.. not many metres from the cypress grove. first definite sighting of the season, finally! Also, several gazelle, (one buck in field betw. olive grove and cypress, other with the longer horns over near fence. Stonechat on shrub mid field, and song heard, hoodies singles , passing over, another perched on wires post, wing lifting, soliciting? , jackdaws calls over neighbourhood, Prinias calls, white wagtails calls heard various places, Syrian woodpeckers calls near cistern and Pistacia orchard, collared dove flew from pumphouse into dense eucalyptus.

Tristram's starling heard calling from house a few days later.

Monday 28th Nov

clear skies, temp ~12 degrees.

singing great tit heard! Late morning Pisgat Zeev, by 'tayeret haducifat', a major road along the edge of the neighbourhood.

Most significant and sad today.. shortly before noon fox found lying in east watercourse (dry), just 'upstream' from bridge.. still but breathing, yellow staining on thighs, upper tail.. saliva noticed coming from mouth but not foam.. then we saw it have convulsion as in strychnine poisoning.. sometimes put out for stray dogs. We had noticed a pack a few days before and wondered if they had been reported and poison put down for rabies control. Unfortunately we didn't have a good means available to put it out of it's misery and hoped it was ''out of it'' enough not to be suffering too greatly and would die soon. We all felt horribly helpless and frustrated and sad we could do nothing for her. On our return about 4.30 p.m. she was gone from former position but had managed to drag herself several feet under the bridge, into the concrete tunnel. She was also still alive, poor thing. It occurred to me then that she could be in final stages of rabies infection. On our return Akiva called our vet who referred us to city vet. Our vet said rabies was indeed a possibility. Instinctively neither of us had got close to her so we had no significant exposure. About forty minutes later he was in the neighbourhood .. Akiva took him down to show location. The vixen put up a surprising amount of fight and resistance for her condition but was clearly unable to flee. Vet took her away for testing. He said no rabies in neighbourhood. We shall be in contact to find out result of tests and post here when/if we learn something.

House sparrows, calling sunbird, laughing doves, bulbuls in gardens, also graceful warblers, Syrian woodpecker calls, a sparrowhawk over north watercourse later afternoon, hoodies, jackdaws, white wagtails on Elias about their favourite tree and on rooftop, various small unidentified jobs about.

Tuesday 29th November

sparrowhawk flew over north watercourse to mid woods.. regular! , several gazelle north field, lower hill slopes 1 buck, two females.. watched female scratch herself on side of neck/chin area with her left back hoof, other licking her flanks.. common gazelle thing, , black redstart about 10 ms up on spikes on one of power pylons in that field, blackbird alarm calls in woods.. as also yesterday, forgot to mention him above, sunbird calling in cape honeysuckle, jackdaws .. and the coral gum saplings have been hit by some kind of infection. Below.. notice exit holes.. some kind of insect. Most leaves hit relatively low on the saplings, higher leaves could be clear or almost clear, lower leaves entirely covered with reddish purple discoloration.

Lots of purple crocus in those fields, no white, some autumn squill in parts.

Wednesday 30th November

8 gazelle, 2 groups, 4 bachelors eucalyptus grove by north watercourse near bat cave, grazing, 4 females/well grown young about foot of twin pylons, male black redstart at the bunker rubble, hurray! First seen in that location this season, stonechat calling near the bachelor gazelles, hoodies flying over in singles, sparrows about gardens, feral pigeons about roofs, white wagtails, Akiva noted flying over edge of neighbourhood, Eurasian jays alarm calls in woods by north watercourse, Prinias calls.

1 winter crocus near north watercourse, rest purple. (Jerusalem autumn crocus)

6th Oct to end of Oct.

2011-10-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

White breasted kingfisher at JBO pool , 30th Oct.

Blooming castor oil plant, by valley road.

By pool at JBO .. pair of Laughing doves,

Bulbul , JBO.

Female chaffinch.. first individual seen this season! By pool J.B.O.

male blackcap close to pool in great willowherb and other veg.

Thursday 6th October
‎
16+ gazelle today, (10 or 11 NE foot of windsurfer, usual grazing place) , another two a little farther down the field, 2 just up from Pistacio grove, 1 very fine adult male buck between bat cave and north watercourse.

also flock of jackdaws very active and vocal over east valley as dusk fell, hoodies accompanying the jackdaws, Eurasian jays heard and seen active various parts aroundwoods, masked shrike calls just down from trail from north corner valley road to east watercourse dirt road, Tristram's starling calls over north watercourse area, Prinia calls, greenfinches calls around look-out corner, and quite a few Syrian woodpeckers active and vocal esp. eucalyptus grove near cistern.

Garden: house sparrows active esp in Bauhinia, sunbird song in garden. subsong.. young male practicing?

Sunday 9th Oct

25 gazelle today, I think that's a record!

1 adult male, long horns north watercourse near where trail comes down from north valley road.

6 more adult males further east along that watercourse, near bat cave including two coming down from owl glade area, one bounced across road, joined others.
1 more adult male near cistern
5 in pistacias including 1 adult male.
shortly after (as we were heading up dirt road leading up windsurfer hill on other side of Pistacia orchard) the male broke from that group to join two adult females, attempted to mate with one of them, brief contact.. kept on sniffing, she squatted as if to defacate though none seen...he continued to sniff and follow, she decided to speed up and head towards look-out corner, buck in pursuit. (7 total in Pistacias, so 15 so far.. )

Usual grazing area betw foot windsurfer and olive grove N/S , betw. bipass road and dirt road up hill E/W several, joined by a few more crossing dirt road ahead of us towards east, joining others making total of ten counted at one time including adult male.

Several adult hyrax spotted on dirt road leading off north valley road, down from Shadiker, some older immatures but no small ones, 1 shaggy older one closest to us.

Birds: feral pigeon over, hoodies over and vocal, noisy jackdaw flock over east valley esp sunset, some great tit calls by north watercourse, brief syrian woodpecker calls, blackbird call near look-out corner.

Monday 10th October

around 20 gazelle, 4 bachelors browsing on young pine leaves on the hillslopes as we headed down, more bachelors in eucs near north watercourse, several in the Pistacias including 1 adult male, and small herd of at least 7 females and well grown young making its way around windsurfer hill west to east, the alpha male between them and us,

bulbuls, a falcon, Eurasian jays active many places, Syrian woodpeckers, greenfinches bunker area, jackdaws flock, hoodies- hyrax across from pumping station, corner sapling field, on the way back in the gathering dusk. Several collared doves around the cistern.

Weather unusually warm, low 30s much of the day.

Tuesday 11th October

4 gazelle grazing about half way up north west slopes windsurfer hill, perhaps more, another seen earlier nearer top and we know at least 10 use that area . Hyrax on rock down from valley road.

Prinias heard, jays , some activity, jackdaws, hooded crows about, ring neck parakeet heard on street.

Saturday 15th October

white wagtail heard! over Shadiker area.

Sunday 16th October

25 gazelle. Again! Adult buck gazelles spreading out more, seen in numerous places, rubbing horns repeatedly against vegetation but no sparring noticed. Females and well grown young herd grazing lower north slopes of windsurfer usually.
small group of up to half dozen in Pistacia grove regularly seen

white wagtail heard?

Monday 17th October

20 gazelle. Kestrel call up in neighbourhood, directly up slope from pumphouse station.

sunbird singing in garden almost every day lately. Bulbuls, laughing doves, house sparrows, ring neck parakeet calls.. great tit aggressive calls and contact calls of various kinds but no song yet, esp in pines near north watercourse.

Tuesday 18th October

11 gazelle today.. 3 bachelors amongst eucalyptus north watercourse, 2 more in the small olive grove, much rubbing of horns against vegetation, group of at least 6 females and well grown young north west slopes of 'windsurfer hill' . Lots of Syrian woodpeckers, Prinias, a neat dramatic hobby call and fly by, jackdaws, hoodies, jays and such

Wednesday 26th October

Castor oil plant by valley road blooming.. (ad pic)

Stonechats have arrived! Seen in east field on 24th, 25th
Gazelle: regular group in Pistacias, buck, mother and kid and a few others, usually 5
White wagtail heard : 23rd & 26th
Garden: house sparrows, laughing doves, sunbirds
street: feral pigeons, hooded crows, jackdaws, ring neck parakeet (latter three also in and over valley)
valley: greenfinches, syrian woodpeckers, Prinias

Sunday 30th October

JBO hide by Gan Sacher (just south of town centre) : watched European robin bathing and a female chaffinch (both first of season), blackcap and Prinia foraging in the Great willowherb by the waterside, white breasted kingfisher hunting, also bulbuls, jays, sunbirds, blackbirds there, white wagtails, jackdaws, hooded crows on the fields. Calls of ring neck parakeets? But none seen.

Monday 31st October

Ten gazelle in two groups: 4 relatively young then 1 female and young heading south of and parallel to central trail, crossing it and heading to woods/gazelle field edge. Four more in the Pistacia orchard including female and young and an adult buck.

Kestrel (?) over valley and one more definite from direction of Hizmeh, bipass road, sparrowhawk heading south well over canopy level, large dark Buteo of some sort circling low over woods next to gazelle field, white wagtails- calls over road earlier, hooded crows heading south various heights over canopy level at dusk, low speed heading to roost, jackdaws calls from direction Hizmeh hill, jays harsh calls amongst trees, stonechats east field various places as light faded, Prinias long shrill calls bunker/cistern area.

no hyrax or syrian woodpeckers heard today. Looked out for black redstart but still none.

End of September, Oct beginning

2011-09-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

Castor oil bush sprouted right by valley road.. several other trees at the top of the bank, none between, first one I've noticed along that stretch.

Bat flittering round over valley road today not long after sunset.. we need to find out how to get a better image!

25th Sept Sun

Flowering Varthemia - most not ready but one blooming, as I had anticipated, at edge of butterfly saddle betw north watercourse and hidden watercourse. Also in that area a group of 6 bachelor gazelle heading north, hobbies on the wing, two, heading west, short clipped calls, another individual calling from trees a little farther west.

On way up hill from north watercourse much vocalization from great tits in the pines, breezes pleasant, slightly moist, scattered cumulus.

jackdaws and hoodies .

27th Sept Tuesday

5 bachelor gazelle in pines near north watercourse, another coming out of it, two more in the Pistacia orchard, plus jackdaws, hoodies, a hobby, Prinias, Tristram's starlings' whistles heard and hyraxes at one of the colonies.

30th Sept Friday

First autumn squill noticed alongside shepherd's trail from top to bottom, numerous but only on southern side.. 1 Dianthus noticed at top.

feral dog, all reddish brown colouration, gay tail, chasing bachelor gazelle herd on hillslope other side of northern trail, about a dozen males. About 5 a.m. earlier than usual. Males noticed last few days north watercourse area.

hooded crows, jackdaws seen and heard all days, Tristram's grackles also heard every day as well as great tits, bulbuls,

Feral pigeons, laughing dove seen active street and garden, sunbird heard. hobby over north field.

Oct 1 Saturday

heard: great tits, Eurasian jays, Syrian woodpecker. Two adult male gazelle seen near shaft, one noticeably younger than the other based on horns, hyraes about.

Oct 5th Wednesday

7 gazelle total today : 2 by north watercourse in the open , adult females , 5 in Pistacia grove , 1 adult male, rest, females and well grown young.
hyraxes, hoarse repeated bark up from pumphouse at dusk. Bat flittering around at base of ramp from valley road to back of buildings, regular place.
Hooded crows: heard, about jackdaws, heard, flocks seen about, over valley and by Hizmeh, Eurasian jay calls in woods.
Syrian woodpeckers, heard, seen in woods, graceful warblers heard, vocal.
Tristram's grackle heard. Sunbird, in song in cape honeysuckle late afternoon as we left.
ring necked parakeets, heard around midday, garden row. House sparrows chirps,
about , bulbuls, harsh calls (young?) heard today, melodious yesterday.

(yesterday similar in most respects, minus Tristrams and parakeets)

Lots of Inula viscosa in bloom now esp banks below Shadiker.

September observations, end of the dry season

2011-09-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Small chameleon, whole individual about three inches long.. found crossing snake path (through terraced gardens) in our neighbourhood, released onto Bauhinia tree in our garden.

Below, an Eryngium, of a species I hadn't noticed before.. near ruins middle of east valley.

Monday 12th Sept.

4 gazelle noticed when coming up shepherd's trail from east watercourse dirt road.. first, up and over to right (south) appeared to be an immature, alone.. then over to left running up slope Akiva saw three individuals.. one disappeared and we both watched a female followed by well grown young make their way across mid field and head down to grazing area between hill and olive grove. No others seen down there.

Also about: jackdaws, many calls, feral pigeons, hobby call, hoodies in neighbourhood on the look out for tasty scraps thrown on ground.. kids' litter.. but has been very quiet lately. Yesterday hardly anything seen and heard but after dusk a number of bats around pumphouse station at least half a dozen, crickets

Tuesday 13th Sept

Garden: laughing doves seen flying to ground, house sparrows, ring neck parakeets calls.

three night herons! Good views this evening in high trees by east watercourse dirt road.. left trees and circled around a few times, increasing height and radius, a few calls, resonant croaks like something between a crow and a duck. Confirms what I've suspected for weeks. (We have seen them in the past earlier in the afternoon)

Plus three gazelle in Pistacia grove, male and two others, hyraxes repeated bark, like hoarse chuckle, high cypress slum bank, jays heard and seen, great tits heard, masked shrike heard near Pistacia grove/look out corner, jackdaw calls. .

Wednesday 14th Sept.

No herons on walk but did hear them at about 10.30 p.m. (from direction of east valley) when we went out with the dog. Usual other birds. Notable rise in humidity late afternoon lately.

Thursday 15th Sept.

No herons so far.. hoodies in tops of eucs, Eurasian jays, syrian woodpeckers active and vocal.. group of four gazelle , adult male, 1 horn, two others.. prob the olive grove gang, under pines near central trail.
Garden: ring neck parakeets heard, laughing doves about as usual.

Photographed an Eryngium near east valley ruins I hadn't noticed before.. habit about three times higher than usual bluish Eryngium, clusters of inflorescences, all green/olive green foliage.

herons heard calling on evening walk , 10.30 p.m.

Monday 19th Sept.

Fox with very nice coat spotted north west corner east field, heading to trees, we'd spooked it. Female gazelle there with well grown young, heading across the other direction from trees towards grazing grounds between olive grove and hill, another individual nearby and another three farther down the hill towards the fence. Three more gazelle in Pistacia grove, adult buck and two more. Light was getting dim so could not see if one horn amongst them though I'd expect that. 9 in all.

Falcon mobbing much larger bird of prey over bipass road north of olive grove, mainly dark, around sunset so got no more detail. Otherwise, hoodies, not much more seen about. Sunbirds and ring neck parakeet heard in and near garden.

21st September

16 gazelle today! herd of adult male with 12 others in east field, a mother and young (the little one already visibly larger than the last time we saw him) in Pistacias and an adult buck by north watercourse.

Birds including masked shrikes, jackdaws, collared doves, syrian woodpeckers, hoodies. Wheatear in east field? Sunbird in garden.

August end & s Start of September. .

2011-08-27T16:29:00.000-07:00

thistle species not noticed before, mid slopes windsurfer hill, facing west. whole plant betw 2, 3 feet high, just the one.

Seen lately, a number of bats at dusk, earlier, dragonflies over east watercourse dirt road.

Shabbos August 27th

From house: sunbird song in Bauhinia in hottest hours of day, some alarm squeaks, later, some melodious calls. Psittacine calls, probably the ring neck parakeets,

Not long before sunset, flock about 30 large raptors heading south, prob honey buzzards, pale under but for shoulder markings

after that two more loan buzzard types soaring about, lowering, terminal tail band.

gazelle: 1 in pistacias, another 4 in field betw. olives and cypress including adult buck and 1 horn (female) 7 in field not far from fence nr ne foot slopes windsurfer.

graceful warblers (also from house), Syrian woodpecker calls. 1 Eurasian jay spotted.

Monday 29th August

7 adult male gazelles grazing amongst eucalyptus near bat cave, north watercourse area.

Tuesday 30th August

mature hyrax on boulder on the way down below the school,
mother and young gazelle (of this year!) in terebinth grove,
pair of hobbies aggravated that some much larger raptors wanted to roost in 'their' trees,

also, hoodies, Eurasian jay.

Wednesday 31st August

50 raptors migrating slow over to south as we waited at light rail station at ammunition hill at about sunset . Didn't have binocs with us at the time but I think they were honey buzzards. They were high!

Thursday 1 September

‎13 gazelle - 3 bucks near shaft area.. 2 there, one fully adult male, one somewhat younger, then farther around hoopoe corner saw one more in pines to right.

10 grazing betw north slopes windsurfer and olive groves, closer to slopes, more in centre of field, away from fence, all then started moving around base of hill to west. No

hobby, jackdaw, graceful warbler calls, saw Eurasian jay, collared dove, and bat on way back, and shining crescent of the new month!

Sat Sept 3rd

sunbird heard singing in garden.

Shrikes heard in last few days.. on Sat saw 1 masked shrike low branch near north watercourse. Individuals heard there, one or two, another one or two by new pine grove towards north watercourse and more by eucalyptus grove by east field.

Gazelles: 1 buck and two others near olive grove, several over in field near base windsurfer hill.

hobby calls heard from house, graceful warblers heard, bat seen at dusk, valley road.

Sun Sept 4th

laughing doves on garden ground, calls ring neck parakeets not long after 7 a.m.

Thurs Sept 8th

8 gazelle, five of them adult male, three groups, group of three coming out of north watercourse, farther on to east in new pine grove male following female and looked like well grown immature, a little later near far end of Pistacia grove another adult male following female.

masked shrike about, making scritchy scratchy noises in the low branches, we've been hearing them almost every day this week esp. near watercourses and Pistacia and eucalyptus grove.

also blackbirds alarm call, jays vocalizations, collared doves silent but on lines or flying between trees, graceful warblers calls, and a nimble bat on the way back.

Garden today: laughing doves foraging on ground for chicken food, sunbird singing in Bauhinia

Saturday 10th September

Pistacia orchard 3 gazelle 1 adult male and two others, including one horn .. as seen from dirt road from cistern to windsurfer hill.

Masked shrike: at least two individuals heard in trees cose to north watercourse dirt road.

Hobby, graceful warblers, syrian woodpeckers heard, Tristram's starling heard from direction of hidden watercourse.

4 ring neck parakeets seen flying together up and down our street last couple of days, heard from inside house of course, a number of times , mentioned lately.

At least 3 bats around bright lights by pumping station, also around ramp from valley road to back of buildings.

August continued

2011-08-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

Black nightshade Solanum nigrum has sprouted spontaneously all around our garden. Central areas mainly goosefoot and purslane.

Wednesday 10th August

13 gazelle,

1 adult male near bat cave, by north watercourse
1 individual up south of north dirt road in woods towards owl glade
8 down near foot north east slopes windsurfer, by fence , usual place.. females and well grown young
1 adult male: crossing windsurfer dirt road ahead of us, heading to east woods.
2 relatively young individuals near head of shepherd's trail

about 50 bee-eaters flying about eucalyptuses by north low end of east field, first a group of about two dozen, then with clatter of leaves the rest flew out.. wheeled about over cistern area for a while as one flock, then split into two flocks again

syrian woodpeckers calls, hooded crow calls, Eurasian jays spotted here and there, hobby heard, sparrowhawk (?) glimpsed, grey back, whitish rump? Flew to cypresses by bat cave. collared dove on line, hyraxes twilight bark, pumphouse colony.

Garden: sunbird song around midday, later, alarm calls for a while, more song later. Bulbul calls, some laughing dove coos.

Thursday 11th August

gazelle several over beyond cistern where Ailanthus saplings.. disappeared into watercourse, Eurasian jays, several active, some calls graceful warblers some calls, flock of 30 plus bee-eaters as we approached look out corner from north trail heard them, then 9 appeared , then another group joined in, much calling.
hoopoe 1 flew over fore part of gazelle field to top of pines bunker rubble pines, jackdaw flock 80 plus SW windsurfer/saddle area, Syrian woodpeckers lots of calls, heard hyrax twilight barks pumphouse area. Ring neck parakeets heard from house earlier.

Saturday 13th August

Field by small olive grove produced 4 gazelle, at least two of them adult females. Not the usual group. No bucks. Soon after ahead of us 2 more gazelle crossed the dirt road leading up the hill from direction of east woods.

2 dozen bee-eaters in two groups moving from over woods towards edge neighbourhood late afternoon. Ring neck parakeets heard in street, sunbird singing in garden about midday.

Woods: hobby call high trees east valley, hoopoe flew across central trail approaching look-out corner, small group greenfinches into eucs there, wheatear far edge east field in herbage, female or juv. prob black eared, hooded crows, Syrian woodpecker call,

Sunday 14th August

9 gazelle, 2 separate nr north watercourse, the others in fields around small olive grove and farther south east towards fence. Adult male between dirt road and olive grove looked like the larger horned male of that area.. seems he's brought his herd into area that previously the (slightly) smaller horned buck and those three youngsters (including 'one horn') were using.. expanding his domain north and driving the group of four to the woods and north gazelle field)

about 30 bee-eaters, in single flock as dusk was descending, quite high. syrian woodpeckers, lots of calls, greenfinches again between look-out corner eucs and bunker pines area, also graceful warbler, hooded crows, blackbird alarm (latter east watercourse dirtroad near sapling field, haven't heard blackbirds in a while) , hyraxes twilight bark amongst others, and Varthemia foliage coming up, will produce tiny bright yellow blooms come the first rains.

It did actually rain lightly and briefly saturday morning. Was somewhat overcast.

Two hobbies over north watercourse, spooked some jays who were very vocal at that.

Wednesday 17th August

11 gazelle NW slopes windsurfer, all females and well grown young.. they made their way round north slopes and down in direction of their usual grazing grounds. Young individual seen near head of shepherd's trail, may have been a 12th.. No adult bucks seen.

several seen yesterday including one horn seen near service road edge of young pines, some way from her usual haunts.. perhaps the larger herd drove her in that direction.

Flock of bee-eaters in eucalyptus, as yesterday .. settling down to roost, didn't come out so no count. Syrian woodpeckers, great tit and graceful warblers heard.

Flock jackdaws heard. Tristram's starling and ring necked parakeets heard from house earlier. laughing doves in the garden, foraging on ground.

bat on way back, hyrax on garden wall on way down.

21st August sunday

Bee-eaters heard from house earlier, sunbird in cape honeysuckle, laughing doves

17 gazelle. 13 grazing near fence including adult male. Other male and one other small individual not far behind him, between olives and cypress grove. 2 more , 1 w thin horns, one with no visible horns, just up from north watercourse dirt road up behind owl glade.

hyrax calls dusk.

Sparrowhawk over. , jackdaws heard, garden and street, collared doves on lines near cistern, male acting amourously, puffed chest etc. Hoopoe, syrian woodpecker calls, A number of hooded crows over but not coordinated flock .

Monday 22nd August

9 gazelle, 2 minimal horns up from north trail as yesterday, 2 in field between olives and cypresses, adult male and 1 horn. Second adult male with longer horns near fence just south of olive grove and nearby adult female. 3 females? /well grown young up on north west slopes windsurfer.

2 sparrowhawks flying same direction not far from each other so prob associated, near service road. Syrian woodpeckers, graceful warblers heard, Eurasian jays about and active, Hoodies and jackdaws flying south to roosting areas around villa hill , latter vocal, collared doves on line near service road as yesterday prob. same two.

carpenter bee black with yellow end abdomen seen by dirt road by east field.

First Week of August

2011-08-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Diminutive viper's bugloss (Echium) on way up out of sapling field, near pumping station

(add here also black nightshade pic * )

Monday 1st August

Akiva heard bee-eaters over neighbourhood earlier in afternoon.

Walking up windsurfer hill dirt road from cistern: saw 3 gazelle including one horn betw. road and small olive grove. Farther up, turned right at slope, group of six gazelle headed up hill ahead of us, adult male in rear. Then saw two more running by tree line, same group separated, or two of group down by olive grove.. I consider less likely.

Calls from east field, larks? or wheatears but more of tril but didn't see. More likely to be larks as male wheatears would have been much easier to spot.

Falcon over field and road, mostly dark.. hobby most likely but didn't see any white under.

Sparrowhawk earlier over north watercourse dirt road/service road. Lots of Syrian woodpecker calls.. Eurasian jays about.

Tuesday 2nd August

Walked up to the hidden watercourse and circled around slopes north hill, back down to look-out corner and east watercourse..

bee-eaters, between 2 dozen and 30 first saw over Hizmeh or road, then headed over valley, over edge of our neighbourhood.

Gazelle, 2 or 3 bucks between bat cave and hidden watercourse area. North field: another buck and at least 3 females and well grown young. As we got down to hoopoe corner, another adult male ran into pines.

a fox, up by hidden watercourse chukars, at least two on open ground, hoopoe, north field, flat area where chukars, flew down to pines. Collared and turtle doves, former various open places, latter, cooing in trees, greenfinches some twitters in pines look out corner area, black eared wheatear male bunker ruins as the other day, and nearby field. Akiva tried to get pics, Syrian woodpeckers calls in Eucs, circling hobby over cistern area and north fields.

Jackdaw flock, calling, coming down from Ar Ram upper slopes, hooded crows about, house sparrow flock working edge of neighbourhood where garbage. Young or female sunbird brief visit to bougainvillea near edge of neighbourhood.

Wednesday 3rd August

hyraxes, by valley road, saw a number of gazelle.. 9- 1 by fence favoured area, 2 by olives, 4 betw olives and road, 2 more in centre woods east valley. One was standing repeatedly on its hindlegs to nibble at olive branches.. the olives are ripe enough now! Also hobby, stone curlew, calls black eared wheatear at bunker rubble, several bedraggled looking jays cistern area, jackdaws flock north of windsurfer, collared doves cistern area, great tit off valley road.

Thursday 4th August

4 gazelle in the Pistacia orchard, 1 adult male in company of three others including 1 horn, as seen before in that area, from there to small olive orchard.. though yesterday more gazelle there, looked like members of the larger horned gazelle's herd also using that area. chukars, (somewhere near north watercourse) stone curlew, calls from north field; hobbies, as dusk approached.. much fuss over east watercourse.. short calls and repeated high calls.. sounded alarm. Another raptor call amongst them, not sure what.
hoopoes, at least 4 around hoopoe corner, foraging on dirt road and/or flying into pines. Prinia calls. Prinia calls around fore part of gazelle field, Jays active, Looked for black eared wheater but not around rubble, perhaps we just got there too late, already sunset, same considerations as with the black redstart.. gets too late for them to hawk for insects there. bee-eaters, flock heard, didn't get count, quite high over Pistacia orchard area, ring neck parakeets around street on and off all day, bulbul, in ours or next door's garden.

Saturday 6th August

1 gazelle, buck, amongst saplings just across northwatercourse near shortcut from valley road to dirt road

From house: ring neck parakeets a few times, bulbul melodic calls now and again, laughing doves through the day pretty much, simplest coos, brief Prinia call, jackdaw flock

On walk: flock 9 bee-eaters, several hoopoes in region of hoopoe corner but not together, nice view hobby perched near top of pine.. Syrian woodpecker a couple of feet down from it apparently frozen in place.. Eurasian jays seen flying, 2 , jackdaw flock 30-40 plus, graceful warbler by stone wall forepart north gazelle field, greenfinches twittering bunker pines, collared doves, cistern area

stone curlew calls dusk, bats , several flitting close to us over valley road and around pines on bank.

Black nightshade Solanum nigrum growing in many places in the garden, cropped up by itself.

Sunday 7th August

Canid in pines to west of dirt road ascending from cistern to windsurfer hill, dark saddle like markings, taller, more dog like than fox, higher off ground though very pale tail tip (which I did not think jackals had) and solitary, not such a bushy tail as fox.. a jackal?? But solitary? Do they hybridize with foxes? Every time we've seen these ''dark foxes'' they have been *solitary* but different look from the red/grey foxes. We have also not heard howling typical of jackals.

bee-eater calls, Eurasian jays active, collared dove brief coo near cistern, Syrian woodpecker calls, graceful warbler calls, ring neck parakeets heard earlier,

23 July > 31st July

2011-07-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday 23rd July

Gazelles: 1 adult male with good size horns grazing low on the slope near the trail leading from valley road north corner to north watercourse dirt road

Another with short horns seen from hoopoe corner, in woods towards owl glade

Low part east field two individuals running from open field towards small olive grove.

Looking towards windsurfer on upper field adult male, farther towards fence in that favoured grazing area south east corner of the field, at least six.

Birds: graceful warblers vocal and active, 3 young birds flew over north watercourse dirt road from watercourse acacias and into pines.

hoopoe from open area ''hoopoe corner'' flew into pines.
hobby calls from ahead of us over young pine grove, called shrilly, repeatedly, rose and circled, a sparrowhawk took off, seemed because of hobby, flew off toward look out corner and east valley woods.
another raptor over to north east, large buteo type circling, long legged buzzard? too far to get detail.
some turtle dove coos, collared doves active but not cooing, though some coos of them heard towards sunset last week. Eurasian jays active and vocal, just down from shadiker
greenfinches twittering in eucalyptuses look out corner.

Sunday 24th

5.18 a.m. bulbul

At least 5 gazelle in the Pistacia orchard, none with adult male horns.. one of them smaller than others.. this year's young? High spirited, every now and again jumping about and kicking as if wanted to play and trying to get the others involved in it. Akiva said he saw a couple of others respond briefly.

turtle dove coos, hoopoe by 'hoopoe corner' , graceful warblers very vocal and active, stone curlew calls briefly. cicadas. Eurasian jays. Greenfinches and Syrian woodpeckers quiet today. Hobby short vocalizations as it grew dark, from trees by east watercourse. View of fox near hawthorn, dark sided, running to and fro between pauses.
Hooded crows, house sparrows, jackdaws pretty much as usual.

Monday 25th

reacheda bout 34.5 degrees C today.. when we set out , just after 7 p.m. was just over 30 degrees and 30% humidity.

Hyrax sprawled on valley road, looked like road kill! Then picked up only its head and looked at us.. then lolopped off..
gazelle, 1 short thin horns head of shepherd's trail, moved off towards windsurfer.

Birds: bulbul in garden, laughing dove coo in street, hooded crow heard, in woods, collared dove flight call, a number of graceful warbler calls, brief blackbird alarm, stone curlew calls, distant falcon call, Syrian woodpecker calls.

cicadas, black millipedes

Bat on way home,

Tuesday 26 July

Shortly after return: about 27 degrees C, humidity ~50% and rising.. (max earlier about 35 degrees C) lots of hyraxes including youngsters at Shadiker colony,
several gazelle v short horns by north watercourse, 1 adult buck,

5 hoopoes dirt road 'hoopoe corner', (near rock flats where north watercourse dirt road turns to meet central trail) , turtle and collared doves cooing, stone curlews, sunbird, bulbul, greenfinches betw. bunker rubble and eucs of look-out corner, syrian woodpecker calls, cicadas in cypresses up from east watercourse dirt road

Wednesday 27th July

not more than about 31 degrees C today, down a few degrees from yesterday's peak
.. some gazelle in the dry oats field, east field, short thin horns, including young. Adult male near north watercourse.
turtle dove cooss, Syrian woodpeckers, blackbirds, hoopoe on dirt road usual place.

Shrike also operating near there.. didn't get good view but mode of movement, perching , flying down returning and white outer tail feathers.. not a masked. Red backed young?

Thursday 28th July

a few gazelle in the oat fields and pine woods, stone curlews, collared doves, blackbirds, Prinias, Syr. woodpeckers, hobby, jackdaws, hoodies

Saturday 30th July

Gazelle, about 10 in east field in various places, mostly lower slopes though didn't see the alpha male, or not clearly.
Hyraxes; several active by valley road around sunset, only adults seen.

Hoopoe: 1 near cistern, several collared doves on ground around cistern, one turtle dove on top of pomegranate tree, two wheatears hunting insects around bunker rubble, really nice views, using barbed wire and rebars for perches, one adult male, other was juvenile or female. Much more like hispanica subspecies than the melanoleuca we usually see.. much more buff/orange, and almost grey grown.

As we headed down saw flock of bee-eaters heading over lower neighbourhood, about a dozen, soon followed by about another two dozen. Syrian woodpeckers, many calls, Eurasian jays spotted active in many places, Prinias active and vocal. greenfinches calling in trees euc grove near cistern. stone curlew calls from north field, relatively early.

cicadas, again esp in trees up from east watercourse dirt road, past orchard, almost at saplings.

Sunday 31st July

As ascended shepherd's trail group of gazelle including one with adult male horns ahead of us, headed into field. Soon after saw the usual two groups.. the one with the larger horns between windsurfer hill and small olive grove, though only a few females/young visible, and a little later, the male with slightly shorter horns between small olive grove and cypresses in company of a few short horned individuals including one horn. Groups keeping consistently within known regions.

Hyraxes on and by valley road, a number in the acacia at foot of ramp coming down from back of buildings, scrambled down on our approach.

At least one hoopoe about, foraging mainly along edge of valley road. Possibly (flight) lame pigeon near head of ramp, grey rump as original rock doves of area, Eurasian jays, hooded crows, in garden, laughing doves, still cooing, by valley road, bulbul. Quiet day! Cicadas.

Peak today about 33 degrees C, about 27 when we headed out, 50% humidity and climbing, winds light north westerly.

11 July > 21st July

2011-07-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

Monday 11 July

Cicadas last few days even up till sunset , heard in cypress and Pistacias but not located, well camouflaged. Temps to low and mid 30s C peak time of day.

Gazelle: 9 in east field.. 6 between small olive grove and windsurfer north slopes, another three between olive groves and trees, lower part.

graceful warblers very vocal lately, Eurasian jays about, short sharp calls of hobbies in tree tops and brief glimpses.,

strange call in garden tree.. sounded like slow soft but carrying trill.. as if a bulbul were imitating a turtle dove . Sunbird calls. Laughing doves, house sparrows,

Tuesday 12th July

Several gazelle seen in various places about the woods, 1 over on path near cistern, alone, not adult male,
Hyrax active and vocal

Hoopoe, jay, turtle dove calls, stone curlew, blackbirds active and vocal but not singing, short low contact notes, graceful warbler and bulbuls around garden. Graceful warbler calls approach to look out corner.

Shabbat 16th July

Several Gazelle seen almost every day esp in east field, usual places. Today three down near fence foot NE windsurfer slopes.
Hyrax activity by street

Graceful warbler, at least two in our garden and adjoining garden active lately. Bee-eaters late afternoon heard from house. In woods Syrian woodpecker, wheatear on a sapling tube in Pistacia orchard.. another a few days ago same area. stone curlew heard.. Eurasian jays more in evidence lately.

Bulbul and sunbird calls also garden, house sparrows, laughing doves.

Sunday 17th July

6 gazelle in total, hyraxes, hoopoe, hobbies, stone curlews, much greenfinch activity between eucalyptuses of look out corner and the bunker pines, Syrian woodpecker calls and glimpses, blackbirds spotted though not singing, occasional relatively soft alarms. Turtle dove and collared dove coos, hooded crows.

Bulbul and sunbird in the garden.

Monday 18th July

8 gazelle grazing in favourite place south east of east field, down near fence and foot of slope. Great tit calls heard, Syrian woodpecker calls, some stone curlew calls as it got dark, sounds like collared dove and turtle dove coos mostly abated now but replaced by numerous insects.. cicadas of low pitch end of afternoon, various crickets as the day darkened. Hoopoe by road near pumping station, flew off to tree in sapling field.

Laughing dove coos, melodious bulbul calls, Prinia calls and occasional sunbird calls in the morning. Forgot to mention a few days ago a couple of lizards noticed amongst fence pieces by patio.

Wednesday 20th July

Hoopoes, at least two around hoopoe corner, usual other birds in woods, blackbirds, stone curlews, (from direction north fields) , great tit scolds, graceful warblers, syrian woodpeckers. As most days this week, cicadas buzzing at various pitches, pitch lower towards sunset.. temps in low 30s early afternoon but humidity down to about 25% at hottest time of day climbing up to about 50% at night

Thursday 21 th July

10 gazelle grazing around windsurfer mountain, on high north west slopes and low down by foot of north east slopes including adult buck who I observed on hill trail up from us repeatedly rubbing his horns against stones or bush or ground, hard to tell. . Also including two in the forest just south of central trail, female and young. Could have been twelve if we didn't count two twice. There were two running to and fro on mid west slopes, apparently chasing each other, fast, almost like play, not significant horns, we didn't know if these joined the others on the north slopes or not.

Quite a bit of hyrax activity by valley road, some juveniles out, adults of various ages.

Syrian woodpecker calls, blackbird alarm, great tit alarms, glimpses of raptors, probably hobbies but very quick views, could also have been sparrowhawk. stone curlew calls. Some collared dove cooing in pines by north gazelle field. Some greenfinch twitters, lark (?)calls in east field. Didn't see for confirmation, may have been wheatears. Akiva heard bee-eaters from house mid afternoon. I heard ring neck parakeets shortly after dawn when I went out to feed the chickens.

Street: laughing doves cooing on roof edges,

July 1st-9th

2011-07-02T16:10:00.001-07:00

Garden gets regular spraying and interestingly the kind of vegetation we get there we don't necessarily see in the valley. Most of it is goosefoot but recently this , above, began to bloom. I appealed to facebook friends for I.D. and one of them, Kyron Hanson positively I.D. it as common purslane, also known as pigweed. Portulaca oleracea, likely accidentally seeded by birds from other gardens.

Saturday 2nd July

Gazelles: As we came up shepherd's path three ahead of us, subadults from the look, females/young females, and a group of that constitution has been seen in that area a number of times.

Also consistent.. in field just north of small olive grove adult male licking flanks, nearby two females or well grown young grazing nearby in old oats and by thorny burnet. As we were speaking I spooked a fourth gazelle, female with only 1 right horn, she ran towards the other three.

Another 4 grazing over beyond the almond tree row

Birds:
stone curlews quite vocal as dusk came.
greenfinches: some alarm calls
syrian woodpeckers: calls
collared doves: some coos, quite a number of flight calls.
falcon over field just north of windsurfer hill, brown back and wing coverts, not as russet as those of kestrel.

garden: sunbirds, bulbuls, laughing doves, house sparrows.

psittacine calls.. last week we noticed three lovebirds lose end of Shadiker, calling to each other between pines, a fig tree and ailanthus.. we've been hearing them over the last few days up and down the local streets including this morning.

Sunday 3rd July

Gazelle.. buck spooked on way down from valley road north corner and north watercourse dirt road. Later: in east field betw. small olive grove and pines again the buck in company with the four young females including one horn.. I get the impression all young pre breeding immature females which would explain why they're with him and not in the main herd with the longer horned male closer (and around) windsurfer hill.

Lots of hyraxes active in Shadiker colony area including young ones.

Garden: 5.10 a.m. bulbul, a few minutes later, sunbird. Later, laughing doves and house sparrows, former coos and feeding on ground.

valley: greenfinch twitters usual lowest altitude pines.. lots of Syrian woodpecker calls and some sightings. Hoopoe on dirt road north watercourse turn off (favourite place for spotting these) , Graceful warbler calls, stone curlew calls, bee-eaters about above calling. Hooded crows about. Collared dove coos and flight calls, also plenty turtle dove calls today.

globe thistles have the usual blue/green and red beetles as in last season, the bluer and fresher, the more infested, probably enjoying the pollen.

Monday 4th July

Hyraxes by valley road very active, otherwise day pretty quiet in terms of birds, unusually so.

Tuesday 5th July

At least three hoopoes at and around the usual dirt road turn.. I had the impression more.. Turtle dove coos in pines by north valley dirt road, collared dove coos and calls as we approached look out corner area.. brief view of chase, only fraction of second but looked to me like hobby chasing off sparrowhawk.

Several gazelle, 5: 1 adult male close to north watercourse , treed area, two more, females/well grown young on hillslopes north east, two more in woods just south of central trail.

Graceful warbler calls .. in garden again and also up by fence by north gazelle field. Sunbird calls in garden numerous times. Syrian woodpecker calls, greenfinch calls. stone curlew calls north fields/low hill slopes shortly after sunset. No bee-eaters today and crows low profile.

As usual lately calls of geckoes heard on buildings in the evening.

Wednesday 6th July

Following gazelle trails around west and north slopes of windsurfer hill. surprised some chukar partridges and a couple of small groups of gazelle including adult male who later made his way down to his usual grazing area near fence, along with at least six females and well grown young.

Hooded crow harassing raptor, long tail with subterminal dark band like kestrel but seemed a little larger , but not sparrowhawk, which has three bands. Crow repeated attacks, two separate incidents separated by at least fifteen mins.

stone curlew calls after sunset. Syrian woodpecker calls. No bee-eaters today. Plenty hyrax activity by valley raod.

Warm, temps even late afternoon 28 degrees C.

Globe thistle and thyme still flowering though many of former finished, those not are heavy with the red beetles.

Thursday 7th July

On way down from valley road to north watercourse dirt road adult male gazelle grazing on slope as a few days ago, prob same one. Three more gazelle grazing amongst Pistacias, females/well grown young.

Turtle dove coos, some collared dove vocalizations. house sparrow flock edge neighbourhood.

At least two hoopoes in usual area near the rock flats/dirt road turn off. Graceful warblers very vocal. Also near there some nice hobby sightings and vocalizations.. at least two individuals in the area. Syrian woodpeckers also very vocal. Jackdaws and hooded crows also heard and some greenfinch calls. Woodpecker also heard in /near garden at dawn as well as graceful warbler in cape honeysuckle. Sunbird and bulbuls also heard, latter from about 5.10 a.m. , later laughing doves as usual.

Jays, bee-eaters, blackbirds, stone curlews not seen or heard on walk.

As we approached pumping station calls from hillside I thought chukars, Akiva thought hyraxes.. the latter do have some vocalizations very similar to chukars.. habitat for both..

Saturday 9th July

MUCH vocalization of hyraxes on rocks by valley road, 'cypress slum' colony but we couldn't make out what the fuss was all about.. no dogs or cats about , much high pitched shrilling alarm calls, barks and bark snorts from many individuals but they weren't alarmed by us, and a mother was nursing three kits on a rock nearby unpeturbed. Perhaps a ground predator in one of the dens, like a snake?

No gazelles seen in any of the fields though one without horns just south of central trail shortly after sunset.

Sunbird garden, melodious calls, on street: laughing doves, bulbuls, house sparrows, woods, Eurasian jay activity. Also hooded crows, jackdaws, graceful warblers.

Hot today, got to 36 degrees C max, dropped below 30 after 6 p.m , cicadas still going at sunset though later, 10.30 p.m breeze picked up and clouds coming over from west. Easterlies were only for a couple of hours this morning but enough to really pick up the temperatures.

16 - 26th June

2011-06-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

Jumping spider on underside of blooming globe thistle. As I circled the globe thistles, (getting lots of histamine inducing pricks from all the blue tuft thistle foliage around it) the spider evaded me by circling away. They have good eyesight! However, since there are two of us it was a simple matter to hand the camera over to Akiva and he wasted no time getting this neat shot!

Thursday 16 June

Early morning garden: sunbird calls in the garden and calls of ring neck parakeet somewhere close in neighbourhood.

Peering through young pines by service road to field beyond, saw a number of bee-eaters skimming low over the grasses, also a hoopoe flew into tree

In the valley far end of Pistacia grove three sub-adult gazelle sproinging in a circle, frisky, taking it in turns to gambol about lightfooted , delightful to watch.

Hyraxes heard chittering up by pumphouse, calls similar in some ways to those of kestrel.
Fox sighting:

Also heard/seen: Graceful warblers, greenfinches, turtle doves, collared doves, Syrian woodpeckers, jackdaws, hooded crows, bulbul (calling loop /bridge area)

As night falls I hear a gecko not far off outside our window, as many evenings and nights lately.
No more luck with lampyrids since those found.

Saturday 18 th June

10 gazelle, all in east field.. adult male joined females in oat field near small olive grove, seemed to be almost herding them, nudged one that was low on the ground, made her get up and move on, then moved to another to move, in direction of windsurfer hill. Was he anxious about our proximity perhaps?

Graceful warbler lots of calls, greenfinches usual area, some Syrian woodpecker calls, jackdaws, hooded crows, bulbuls, bee-eaters,

hyraxes, some chukar like calls.

Sunday 19th June

4 gazelle in east field, adult male, indiv. with just one thin right horn and other female. Another nearby.

Several graceful warbler calls, greenfinches usual place, several hoopoes. Stone curlew calls direction of hidden watercourse, hobby in flight.

fox sighting.
Monday 20th June

8 gazelle : mainly eastern field.. two groups, one near fence usual area, other between olive grove and N/S dirt road. One male over there crossed into field from Pistacia grove, another male, limping, down in east watercourse pines down from valley road not far from sapling field, limping.

hyrax: 1 going into den up from pumphouse.. no other activity noted.

Bee-eaters: several low over north field or twice canopy level.. at least a dozen prob more.

hoopoes: several about east end of north watercourse dirt road and squatting on dust near cistern.

greenfinches singing in usual pine area, turtle dove coos in pines by north watercourse, collared doves, syrian woodpecker call, stone curlews, hooded crows, graceful warbler calls, jay calls

Tuesday 21st June

Graceful warbler calling repeatedly in cape honeysuckle about midday.
Walk: gazelles 4: adult male and another individual on skyline up on NE slope windsurfer hill. Another no visible horns in dry oat field betw small olive grove and cypresses. 4th edge field /dry area north of almond row.

collared doves active, no turtle dove coos today, some blackbird song, plenty syrian woodpecker calls, jay activity, bee-eaters active and vocal over both valleys, greenfinches calls and song in the usual areas.

Wednesday 22nd June

Gazelle: 8 east field windsurfer north slopes 4 indivs, females and well grown young running round to west slopes.. adult male big horns by thorny burnet near fence. On way up to east field three in cypresses, adult male slightly smaller horns with the one horn gazelle and another. 8th gazelle was at edge of young pines and north gazelle field, a female or well grown young.

Hobbies: cypresses by rock flats, at least one, very vocal, flew up and around, also one seen over north watercourse east end, same?

Hoopoes again near rock flats, north watercourse dirt road turn off.. at least two. Also Syrian woodpecker calls, blackbirds, great tits, collared and turtle dove coos, Jays incl. juveniles, jackdaws, hooded crows. In garden: house sparrows, bulbuls, sunbirds. Feral pigeons about as usual. No bee-eaters today, or swifts.. latter soon to leave.

Thursday 23rd June

Gazelle: adult male 'loser' moving from cistern area by Pistacias towards east field.
Hyraxes: a few of Shadiker colony and pumphouse colony active
fox: north watercourse, heading up opposite slope.

Hoopoes: at least two usual place beginning turn of north watercourse dirt road, flying from burnt area to pines and one taking dust bath on dirt road.

Syrian woodpecker calls, hobbies aloft, active, turtle doves and collared doves cooing, , graceful warblers calling, and also active around rock flats, some greenfinch calls in area, bee-eater calls, great tit calls.

garden: laughing doves coos, bulbul melodious calls, house sparrows.

Saturday 25th June

9 gazelle, mainly east field, bulbuls, stone curlews, hooded crows, hoopoes, Syrian woodpeckers, hobbies, greenfinches, jays.

Sunday 26th June

Gazelle briefly spotted up on windsurfer hill near top. Hyrax on wall of garden, back of buildings, top of bank, reaching up against fence to nibble tree leaves (fruit trees).. as we approached it ran surprisingly fast along wall towards tree on bank side, probably it's access to wall. Fox spotted at bridge just past pumphouse, jumped down into water channel under the bridge, (dry now of course)

Wind blowing briskly from west, coolish with that.. peak today just under 28 degrees C.
Great tit calls, Syrian woodpecker calls, brief hobby sighting, stone curlew calls from north fields and hillside, hooded crows about, Blackbird alarm, brief turtle dove coos, collared doves about. Bee-eaters heard just before we left the house .. at about 7 p.m. bulbuls.

9th -15th June

2011-06-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

Pistacia orchard looking nice and green while the ground level dries out.

The 'Blue tuft' thistle started to bloom on the 14th, this was near the turn off of the north watercourse dirt road.

9th June

Peak temp. 30 degrees C, definitely a rise on recent temps

8+ gazelle incl. 3 adult males: 1 male crossed north dirt road from woods to watercourse, Another from pine grove by eucs into east field (where later seen by thorny burnet clump licking his flank and grazing.. they may lick flanks to cool themselves?) , then female seen in woods as we ascended onto lower windsurfer slopes through the wooded area past Pistacia grove.. then at least five including an adult male grazing near top of windsurfer.
hoopoes, At least four in area of young pine grove esp around the bare burnt central area and past there to the rock flats (where little oak and cistern pit) on way to look-out corner.

Tristram's starling, I heard one call to north when we were on north dirt road, direction of hidden watercourse... Akiva heard another when we were in east field, from somewhere to north or north west of us.

stone curlew: some calls from direction of north field,

bee-eater: at least one about, calling, flying over us beginning of valley road,

nightjar: flew over lower part of east field, quite low from woods where we saw the female gazelle/ collared dove corner area , flew to almonds or olive in the small grove.

turtle doves: cooing in many places. Some collared doves about also. (laughing doves in garden as usual)
Eurasian jays: calls, individuals seen various places through the woods.

Syrian woodpecker calls, greenfinch calls and twitters around look-out corner, brief call sounded like ring necked parakeet from trees around east watercourse,

Gardens: house sparrows, bulbuls fledgelings.

Sat 11 June

Lots of hyraxes active by valley road. A few gazelle grazing high up on windsurfer hill. A fox ran up from east watercourse dirt road, up treed slopes. We looked for him when we got to top of shepherd's trail but didn't pick up sight of him again.

2 hoopoes dustbathing on dirt road, circle near cistern. Syrian woodpeckers. Bee-eater heard, 1 seen. Stone curlew calls up north of north gazelle field.
Collared dove flight calls and some activity, laughing doves on street, house sparrows. Hooded crows many places about valley as usual. Hobby aloft high over Pistacia grove soon.
before dusk. blackbird song, great tit calls, some graceful warbler calls.

Sun 12 June

House sparrows started up in garden about 5 a.m. still dark.

Hoopoe by rock flats again, heading into pines.. hobby calling, 2 circling high in flight earlier, Graceful warbler calls, greenfinches, turtle doves,

Lots of hyraxes including young by Shadiker colony rocks, 3 adult male gazelle grazing around north watercourse.. another in lower east field, couldn't see what , already light dimming by then. Stone curlew calls north field, 16 bee-eaters as we headed down..

Mon 13th June

Weather a little cooler, breezier, moist air, clouds blowing in from west, long thunder roll.
House sparrows, laughing doves, bulbuls in garden including fledgelings wing fluttering at dawn in Bauhinia, quite well grown but still asking for food.
Flock just over half dozen bee-eaters, flying about over valleys, calling, brief stone curlew calls,
Hobby calls and seen aloft, Jays about, young jay heard calling for food, graceful warbler calls, greenfinch calls around bunker area as usual, lots of Syrian woodpecker calls.

Gazelle: north watercourse a couple bachelors, another young adult male in woods near central trail, another couple ran up hill near batcave, spooked by some boys training on hillside, Lots of hyraxes, one climbing half way up acacia near pumping station, descended as we approached, lots by Shadiker including little ones,

Main flower in bloom visible now is globe thistle. Polygonum also blooming fresh, wild carrot finishing, blue tuft thistle foliage up but not blooming yet.

Tuesday 14th June

clear day today, mild, low 20s, humidity about 60% in the late afternoon

Gazelle: 3 in view grazing near fence east field nr foot of steeper windsurfer hill north slope.
Hyraxes: chittering calls near pumphouse

bee-eater calls, hoopoe over north gazelle field, headed into pines. Much twittering of greenfinches in a number of pines, some blackbird song, syrian woodpecker calls, great tit calls, turtle dove coos, collared dove coos. (garden coos of laughing doves and feral pigeons) , hobbies glimpsed.

(swifts and stone curlews quiet today)

Wednesday 15th June

clear skies, mild temps.. 28 degrees C earlier dropped to lower 20s later afternoon.

bee-eaters , flock about 18 hawking over edge of neighbourhood. Collared doves coos and display flight. Graceful warblers.

repeated sounds of ''hhan.......... hhan .......... hhan'' from down in pines , then spotted adult male gazelle , noticed when he made that noise, uplifted head and whole body momentarily stiff. Then he moved on with distinct tail wiggle, also acts as signal.

Vipers bugloss and fennel also in bloom