Hoopoes and others 23rd May

Hoopoe Upupa epops

Weather: Upper 20s degrees C humidity 70% time walk 6m -7pm

Hoopoes seen down by the creek.. one in a pine grove to the west of the creek, flew west, short time later another on the creek trail ahead of us to the south. He sat in the dust a few seconds and had brief 'dust-bath' as many birds will do, apparently it helps condition their feathers and may help against feather parasites.. then resumed foraging. Took off as we approached, flying west and low, over the creek and into the pines, his beautiful big striped butterfly wings spread wide.

The Bee-eaters (#1 in archives for photo) have become quite predictable. At about 7 p.m. we sat on the edge of the valley road where it turns to the south, looking and listening over to the north valley. 'They'll be coming round the mountain when they come' I couldn't resist humming. In five minutes we could hear them down in the valley, flying amongst the pines.. quite low, at about canopy level. Sometimes they fly up higher and can be seen in a 'swarm' hunting flies high above the valley. Usually in groups of anything from a dozen to thirty, occasionally in larger flocks of a couple of hundred. Many other times they prefer to stay low, zipping between the trees. Yesterday evening we missed them.. we came out at about 7.25 p.m. , husband keen to catch them, but not too late to catch the last flying swifts. This evening we caught both. Several swifts flying high above the valley road, but quiet this time, just hunting, and we're on the watchout for that nightjar or any nightjar passing through.

earlier..

Turtle doves purring away like tribbles in many localities of the forest. Collared doves much quieter though quite a few seen foraging. It makes sense that the turtle dove breeding season should peak later than that of the collared doves since they're summer visitors and don't get here till late April, early May. The collared doves get an earlier start.

Hobby heard calling away to the east of the orchard
House sparrows busy foraging all over the place as usual.
Greenfinches - some calls
Feral pigeons, small flocks overhead
Buteos, a pair, one noticeably larger, that would be the female.. too high to make out much detail. Hooded crows around but not bothering them. Probably that long-legged buzzard pair again.
Chukar partridges, family with the one 'pre-teen' chick again. One of the adults chased away a hooded crow that was showing an unhealthy interest in the chick. I'm guessing it's the same family we saw on the creek path last time. Husband speculated that they might be a different family, just coincidence that one chick. I said that if so the local chukars should set up a support group for chukar families that have lost all chicks but one.. how many can there be?? I still hold its the same pathetic little family we've been seeing every time.. and hope that the parents can protect junior for the rest of its development.
Blackbirds. Some song, activity and foraging
Bulbuls. Vocal, and plenty activity near the bridge over the creek, and along the valley road, and around the pump station.
Some hyrax colony activity.
Eurasian jays active all over foraging. One in the gazelle field looked like he was flapping away excitedly. He might have found an ant hill. Jays like to let ants run on their feathers, and rub the formic acid onto their feathers for a special conditioning effect.

Sunbird.. most of the day vocal in the garden, and the male launched into a long winded song in the Bauhinia tree about 7.30 p.m. (close to sunset) Sweet serenade!

It's just after 10 p.m. and there's a bird calling now that sounds like a laugh-box. At first I thought it might be some unusual hooded crow call (they have a very wide vocabulary I've learned) till I learned the people across the street kept geese !! Sounds just like a carnival laugh box from here, so funny.

oh yes, and today a beautiful green lizard Lacerta trilineata (I think) appeared on my windowsill! He snuck in under the bars.. wrought iron decorative bars on which we tacked a mosquito screen. Hubby On top they're mostly greenish brown with a lateral green stripe but if you ever have one in the hand the underside is an amazing iridescent greenish/blue. Don't catch them by the tail though, it will fall off and they'll have to grow a new one and it's never quite the same:(