The sunbird nest and other sightings.

View from the north east, you can see the nest hanging down just below the white flowers.


Nest of orange tufted sunbird, Nectarinia osea, a suspended dome woven of many fine materials. The entrance (invisible from this angle) faces the fence to the south.

Today we headed out quite a bit later, it was 6.43 p.m. though still plenty light left. Today, temperature range 14-26 degrees C. , about 22.5 degrees C when we set out. 57% humidity, winds westerly, just over 11 knots. (late morning, early afternoon again turned easterly and dropped, as did humidity)

Heading down one of our shortcuts from the buildings to valley road we heard a parakeet call, then watched a very nice ring necked parakeet in flight over east valley, heading into the largest pines and eucalyptus.

I could not ignore the flames and smoke up the road to the north. We called services then helped some local boys put out another fire by valley road, (on the east side this time and endangering the ground cover of a large stretch). By the time the firemen came we'd already won!

Very little ground cover was lost. Another stretch of bank was lost we noticed, about equal to the earlier patch. Growing season is apparently NOT over and it seems the fires may stimulate the growth of some plants. Much green is sprouting on burnt patches over two or three weeks old and new plants in their season growing up in other places too. Each in its own season.

Then we headed down to the cistern, which still holds some toads and innumerable water boatmen. Collared doves, turtle doves, house sparrows, hooded crows, Eurasian jays have all been noticed visiting it lately. They can't sip from the edges, they fly down and stand on any of the partially submerged car tires inside. Boys no doubt rolled them in for fun but it works out well because they help the birds! Collared doves, laughing doves and turtle doves all cooing today and there's probably also a turtle dove nest in the large pine by the cistern. Greenfinch and blackbird song heard. At least a dozen bee-eaters hunting for bugs over the field and a few swifts. It's a simple pleasure just to follow the bee-eaters in my sights, watch them swoop and turn expertly. Stone curlews heard. Thursday we saw one land over in the north of gazelle field, was in plain sight till I blinked.. when I looked again it had already scuttled to camouflage!

I did not record thursday or saturday's walks separately as they were not so remarkable, (friday we were too busy) and decided to mention any relevant sightings later. The only other I remember is quite a lot of Syrian woodpecker drumming heard from the east valley lower trail. Husband felt the bird was using a pole rather than a tree to make that noise but we didn't find him. Possible he was right, or an older, partly hollow tree would have had a similar timbre.

Two gazelle spotted way up on the northern skyline, grazing close to the fence. One buck, the other I couldn't tell.

Plenty hooded crows about, by their tree-top nests or foraging on the ground. Feral pigeons as usual, lots of house sparrows about the buildings, White spectacled bulbul early in the Bauhinia, sunbirds squeaking alarm on and off through the day. Hobbies again heard but not sighted. Syrian woodpeckers about. Shrike heard somewhere in the eucalyptus grove, probably another masked shrike.

Back to the Quarry

A bloom of Eremostachys laciniata (Desert Spike) growing close to the quarry. There was a whole stand of them with many gorgeous flowers. This is the same yellow job that was growing by the pump station.

That was my original I.D. Now after review I believe it's one of the Verbascum genus, a kind of mullein.
probably V. fruticosum Desert mullein.

Today we set out a little earlier, before 5.30 p.m. in order to check out what was going on at the quarry at the upper end of north valley. We'd noticed a few trucks heading there lately.

Many high altitude clouds in the sky, winds north westerly, about 10 knots, had been westerly earlier. Temp: range today 12-21 degrees C, on our walk: 20-19. Humidity 65% and rising rapidly.

I noticed many gazelle tracks in the dust along the way, all heading east.. probably a small group and within the last few days. We also saw plenty feral dog tracks. Later we noticed two gazelle on the opposite hill slopes, one, I think, adult female grazing right near the top almost at A Ram, another young male about half way down. These were the first we've noticed since Thursday when we saw two bucks up at the top just east of A Ram.

Nice sighting of a little owl taking off and silently heading low across the valley north with something in its talons, just at the approach to the quarry area in an area of dirt and rock banks. The most exciting sightings at the quarry itself were a family of common kestrels AND apparently a family of Tristram's grackles. Clearly the kestrels had been using a small cave entrance way up above the north face of the quarry since they often landed or almost landed there. Two grackles were tentatively picking their way up the rock face, foraging apparently, while another two flew more widely about the area, whistling and then repeatedly returning to the two on the rock face. We can't be 100% sure but there's a fair chance that those on the rock face were their young.

As we watched them, a rock hyrax barked alarm repeatedly from the direction of the cave, though we couldn't see it. Other birds heard and seen in the area were chukar partridge (including a nice covey up on the slopes just north east of the quarry) , great tits, graceful warblers, and of course feral pigeons and house sparrows taking advantage of the nesting opportunities in the old quarry buildings. (The trucks had taken a scrap car and probably other scrap metal, and made the area passable to more trucks but otherwise done little. )

On the way there and back we also heard and saw a nice masked shrike in the acacias by the dry water course, call of a great spotted cuckoo somewhere in the trees on the north slopes, collared doves, turtle doves, greenfinches and Syrian woodpeckers in the pines on the south side, and singing blackbirds. Jackdaws and hooded crows were about and bee-eaters were heard, stone curlews later. An excited hobby was heard from the direction of look-out corner but not seen.

To my delight and astonishment my boys found (the location of )the sunbird nest in the cape honeysuckle. It was right in front of us all along! I'd been looking into the densest part of the honeysuckle assuming it was well hidden but it was not, it was dangling in plain view, a web covered pale dome, right over the stairs leading to our entrance! We'd watched the male and female squeaking about in the honeysuckle earlier but both had been smart enough not to return to the nest while we were there and we had not recognized the mass for what it was. The boys were given strict instructions not to try to reach it or touch it with anything because we wanted every success for the little family developing inside, and both are nature lovers enough to comply.

Latest C.O.N.E. project and local goodies

A handsome little jumping spider type.. Those of you who are not at all arachnophobic, click on the picture so that it (more than) fills the entire screen, and scroll to the spider to really appreciate him. This image file has enough definition for a very nice zoom.

Check out http://cone.berkeley.edu/frontdesk/index
for a really nice game/online birdwatching experience. Effectively it has been a tutorial for me for birds of south east Texas. You share guidance of the camera, take pictures of the birds and ID the species to get points. There's a simultaneous chat room to communicate with the other users.
Free, you just have to register and log in, which is simple.

I had participated in the C.O.N.E. project this time last year when it was based in Sutro forest in the San Francisco Bay area, and learned a great deal there.

C.O.N.E. = (Collaborative Observatories for Natural Environments)

So far we've seen plenty brown headed and bronzed cowbirds, great- tailed grackles, red- winged blackbirds, northern cardinals and green jays as well as ruby- throated, black- chinned and buff bellied hummingbirds as well as some surprises. White tailed deer, raccoons, feral swine and javelinas also visit the site. Fun to watch, you never know what will show.. and if transmission isn't working (as it isn't for me for many hours), I just try again later- I can always catch up with what's been seen in the gallery.

Meanwhile here the temps took a slight upward swing again: Range 16-28.5 degrees C.
When we went out some time after 6 p.m. it was just over 26 degrees, humidity just 24%, winds westerly 4.3 kt (winds had veered to the east several times earlier in the day)

Garden: White spectacled bulbul calling in the Bauhinia from just before dawn. House sparrows and feral pigeons as active as usual, the latter noticed up on roofs and solar boilers, busy preening.

In the valley: common swifts over many parts of east valley and gazelle field. Bee-eaters over north valley and the hill slopes, stopping to rest in a nice row on the line there- about 15 birds, perhaps more. Large Buteo seen soaring over the hill slopes and then southward over east valley. Syrian woodpecker calling shrilly in north wood pines, turtle doves cooing in several locations, collared doves also active and vocal as were graceful warblers. Great spotted cuckoo low churring call heard in the pines east end of north valley. Plenty hooded crows about.

Two gazelle noticed on the middle of the north ridge on the skyline up there and near the fence in that direction, both seemed to have well grown horns- probably the rest of the bachelor herd not far off but out of view.

Some boys came by with a dead snake, at least two feet long and an inch thick, and pretty uniformly grey (not sure which species but not one of the venomous ones) . They said it was actually a young one and they saw a larger parent with similar colouring. (I don't know how much I could rely on their report, a parent of a snake that size and colouring would likely be a black whip snake). I told them there had been no need to kill it at all, given that it wasn't particularly dangerous.

After some days of no fires we returned to find a section of the bank between valley road and our street merrily ablaze. After ascertaining that the fire was already pretty much spent and would not spread to south and north, we decided there was no reason for us to call the fire service that time, and save water. Limited damage, just superficial ground cover, no tree loss. Still a pity but not too bad. Plenty kids were spectating on the outer edges and I strongly suspect one of them was the mischief maker this time but no-one knew who.

The "famous" local owl

I was delighted that husband managed to get some shots of "Owl" mid/late morning on the back-road up by east valley. Seeing his face mask now he does look like the Little Owl, (Athene noctua), no doubt one of the local races, likely indignea or perhaps lilith. Husband reckoned it stood about 10" tall max, kept bobbing forward and stretching up alternately. This bird is called 'Koss' in Hebrew and well known to all who take this route. He also 'posed' briefly on top of a nearby lamppost. He seems somewhat used to people looking at him.

Weather seems to have changed its mind about the brief upward trend. Westerlies blew pretty much all day, range 16.5-24 degrees C, ~21 degrees when we headed out about 6.30 p.m. Humidity between 45-50%, wind blowing between 8 and 10 kt.

From the house the usual crew, house sparrows, sunbirds (husband saw male with female in the cape honeysuckle. Now we're on the watch out for a family group) , white spectacled bulbuls heard and jackdaw and hooded crow farther off. Laughing doves heard cooing.

In the valley turtle doves cooing nicely, collared doves quite active and cooing, greenfinches calling, singing, twittering, a group of bee-eaters over gazelle field toward sunset, always a delight to watch in flight. Graceful warblers very vocal and active, Syrian woodpecker calls, Common swifts on the wing over east valley. Over by the cistern a group of three Hooded crows, one seen feeding another which solicited for food. Pretty much same area that hoodies were nurturing the cuckoo last year.. same pair? Did they learn this time around not to fall for the cuckoos nefarious schemes, or just lucky this time? Quite a few other hoodies foraging on gazelle field for food, (probably large invertebrates such as mole crickets, grasshoppers/locusts) as well as Eurasian jays. Blackbirds also about.

Ripening fig in one of the dozen or so fig trees, east end of olive orchard to the north. This pic was taken late last week on our longer hike, most of the figs still green at the time.

Golden Thistle

Golden thistle. Scolymus hispanicus. Found in the open toward east end of north valley.

Temperatures are back on the rise. Today's range: 15-29 degrees C, between 25 and 26 when we left for our walk at about 6.15 p.m. Winds were westerly, approx. 6 kt (though from about 6.30 a.m to 1 p.m. easterlies prevailed) Humidity was just below 30%

Around the buildings: House sparrows very busy around the buildings as usual, no doubt dealing with family issues. White spectacled bulbuls vocal, sunbirds heard calling in alarm. Usual feral pigeon activity, hooded crows and jackdaws about.

Husband has been trying to photograph an owl which inhabits a rock face on a back road between east valley and the centre of the main neighbourhood. Scops I thought though many have been calling it a 'cos' (little owl), does not have the 'jizz' of little owls I've seen before. seems smaller, paler and irises much darker. Pale could just be a regional variation. At any rate it retreated to its little niche, like a tiny cave two thirds the way up the rocks and husband did not want to disturb its home. Hopefully we'll get pictures of it soon.

Ring neck parakeet/s very vocal in eucalyptus along east valley path. That yellow flowering plant by pumping station looks like it might be an Eremostachys of some kind though its buds tantalizingly part closed, it must have already flowered a little this season since some petals had fallen onto the scrub below. Perhaps a very brief flowering. Petals bright yellow with large black spot.

Syrian woodpeckers very vocal, stone curlew calling north end of gazelle field towards sunset, turtle doves cooing from various locations, collared doves active and very vocal, graceful warblers very vocal today also. Blackbird in song at sunset in north valley, bee-eaters, at least a dozen quite high over the hillside to the north. Great spotted cuckoo calls heard in north valley near the valley road turn south, greenfinches very vocal and active in the pines by the bunker and look-out corner. Eurasian jays busy and somewhat vocal. Hooded crow already starting to moult ! Missing both inner secondaries. Perhaps that one isn't breeding this year, or just done- does seem early. Two falcons flying high over east side of east valley. Common swifts about.

Husband has seen agama lizards lately, last couple of days. A son mentioned he saw a skink (a snake like lizard with tiny legs) when he was fighting the fire last week.

Four gazelle seen up on the northern skyline, pretty much together, two adult males and two without horns at all, which really makes me wonder about fluidity in cohesion of bachelor herd with the group of females and young these days. Could be the bachelor herd don't mind the females grazing in their area since they're not really defending it in the way an alpha male servicing the females, defends his territory. Likely the females moved a little to the north to avoid the kids collecting wood. There was some running about going on, could have been the alpha letting the others know not to take liberties.

Fruits of a kind of wild arum, also called 'cuckoo pint', a peculiar plant which attracts flies for pollination by smelling slightly of rotting flesh. Several were found out in the open in the hills to the north, this one growing up between two limestone boulders. Fruit NOT edible! May 8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arum

Feeding the chicks

Above: the peculiar white orchid like flowers of Ballotia

Forgot to mention, great spotted cuckoo call from east valley yesterday.

Sky pretty much clear. Temp range today: 12-23 degrees C. At about 6.15 p.m. when we headed out it was just under 20 degrees. Humidity 43%, winds WNW 6-8 kt. Winds easterly latter part of morning and early afternoon.

House sparrows active in the garden as usual and several pairs of laughing doves on the line over 'breadcrumb corner' on our street. Jackdaws and hooded crows heard from the house as well as white spectacled bulbuls and sunbirds in the cape honeysuckle hedge by our entrance.

Husband told me that common swifts were very active over the road and even the garden this morning about 7.30 a.m. about a dozen of them swooping down to catch flies quite low. There were also plenty about on our walk over east valley and gazelle field. We heard bee-eaters somewhere up in the north valley or hillside but they didn't interfere with the swifts.

Two falcons flying together, ascending over Hizmeh, fanning tails to help with flight. Couldn't tell if kestrels or hobbies from that distance.

Graceful warblers vocal and active, as were blackbirds. Brief call of Syrian woodpecker near eucalyptus grove. Turtle dove coos in eucalyptus by the orchard and in the pines over the bunker rubble where a number of greenfinches were singing very energetically, probably because more than one male is holding territory over a small area. Communal nesting behaviour here? Some great tit calls heard. Hoopoe noticed flying from look-out corner area to pine grove east of the cistern and that or another flying across north end of gazelle field where the almonds are, towards the north valley pines. As it crossed over, heard grating call like that of a shrike, probably was another masked shrike because, though the hoopoe was about that place at the time we heard the call, I have not found a record of hoopoes making such a call. Collared doves active and vocal, coos, flight calls and a pair foraging on the burnt part of east valley. Single ring necked parakeet call from east valley. Chukar calls? Not sure.

Along valley road Eurasian jay seen feeding a juvenile pretty much its own size and already fully feathered, soliciting noisily for food. Five jays in the same cypress tree, no doubt same family. Feeding bird had raised crest, fed bird raised part of the time also. Loud calls of a number of nestlings/fledgelings heard along east valley path area. Hyrax out, active and foraging at the pumphouse colony.

At about 7.05, pretty much the same time we heard bee-eaters over to the north west, we also heard shrill call of stone curlews and had yet another sighting of one in flight, wheeling around and landing by some boulders north end of gazelle field.. similar to yesterday's observation but did not land in the same place, not necessarily, but possibly, the same bird or nest site.

That interesting plant with the fuzzy large round leaves and bright yellow buds by the pumping station is still not flowering. Husband suspects its just waiting for the next hot spell and he's probably right. These things are often exquisitely timed, could be the kind of insects that pollinate it aren't out and about till the temperature is optimum for them. About this time last year we heard the cracks of pine cones opening. Today they were heard again though not as intensely as that hot day last year. It's likely they're 'timed' to crack open about this time every year but how fast it happens also depends on the temperature, and at the moment we're in a cooler spell.

We found this pretty blue job on top of the hill to the north last thursday. I haven't managed to ID it yet but I'm pretty sure it's one of the borages, (similar to purple gromwell, Lithospermum) The leaves are very hairy, well adapted for moisture retention. As husband was photographing it a swallow flew right over his head!

Underneath a Rock

Watch out under large rocks! This pic was taken back on April 24th. My boys turned over a large rock just out of curiosity and found this nice black scorpion hunkered down in its cavity under the rock. It made no attempt to attack, no doubt it was just waiting for us to 'turn out the lights' and go away. It was only about 3" long. Of course, we didn't touch it! With those large size pincers it probably did not have a very dangerous sting. Delicate pincered scorpions, such as one of the local yellows, tend to be more dangerous, since they depend on their venom more than their pincers to catch prey, whereas heavy pincered scorpions rely more on brute strength and don't need so much poison to subdue their prey. Still, even this probably has a very painful sting.. not something we'd want to put to the test!

We have not YET had a scorpion in the house, though it could happen any time since we have a french door opening to our little garden. We have neighbours who had scorpions climb into the washing machine and our neighbour had a very small one, under two inches, on her bed! (third storey of an apartment building) I caught it very carefully with a glass and card, then husband stomped on it. Its skin was so leathery it took three good stomps. Not true for all scorpions.. husband killed a yellow with one good stomp and it proved to be quite brittle. We will only kill them if they pose a possible immediate danger to others in the neighbourhood .. that yellow was on a public footpath in summer where many wear open toed shoes (I almost walked into it wearing sandals myself) . If we see them in the forest we leave them alone.

Mostly clear skies, some cumulus off way east. Another quite cool day: range:11-21 degrees C. When we headed out about an hour before sunset it was ~18 degrees C, humidity at ~55%, wind westerly and 6-8 kt.

Usual four active in the garden early morning: house sparrows, white spectacled bulbuls vocal, sunbirds very vocal, laughing doves cooing. Jackdaws and hooded crows heard farther off.

Turtle doves visiting the cistern for water. Stone curlews very vocal towards sunset and nice view of one seen in flight, from somewhere by the east security fence, wheeled over gazelle field and finally came to rest on the ground at the northern end of field behind the almond trees.

Great tits heard vocal in east woods, probably feeding young. Collared doves, blackbirds also active and vocal. Some Buteo aloft over the north ridge. No gazelle or hyrax noticed today. Lots of Eurasian jay active, foraging. Turtle doves cooing, bee-eaters absent today