Regeneration after fire

We noticed this phoenix like phenomenon at a couple of sites. The ground is still charred from a bonfire about a month ago. Life springs from the ashes. I loved it for the contrasts.

(pic taken with a motorola cell phone)

Last night, (29/30th ) some unseasonal thunder and brief rain.

May 30th visibility down to a couple of miles, seems some dust in the air. Mid 20s (dropped from 27 peak) wind SW 10 knots, 63% humidity

Usual residents seen active and foraging. Greenfinches in song. Turtle doves cooing,

Sunbird calling and foraging right outside my window at various times today.. beautiful sapphire iridescence on most of his body, slight malachite on his head. What a beauty! 7.25 ish p.m. He just gave a wonderful vocal performance again in the Bauhinia, for about fifteen minutes a few feet from my bedroom window - a rambling siloliquy incorporating a fine range of trills and calls..his real song again as opposed to his musical shorter morning calls even though some of those are complex enough to be taken for song .

Hubby's casio digital was not behaving for me.. haven't got the hang of that camera yet and murphy's law was working overtime. ah well.. hopefully other opportunities.

(Murphy's law of electronic gadgets... "it should work now" really means "if it doesn't work I can't tell you why not" )

Thurs. May 31st clearer than yesterday.. temp down to 20 degrees C, just under 70 degrees F, wind in west, falling to 6 knots. 70% humidity

House sparrows, vocal and active everywhere, buildings and throughout wood, Feral pigeons, active as before, singly and flocks over valley

Hooded crows, active everywhere, relatively quiet. Jays foraging throughout wood, quite quiet. Jackdaws seem to have gone on vacation.

Blackbirds, some song. Syrian woodpeckers, some calls, Greenfinches, relatively quiet. Collared doves, relatively quiet and foraging.

Senegal doves, some cooing, foraging everywhere. Turtle doves, a lot of cooing.

Chukar partridge family with the one 'preteen chick' also foraging in the little field by the saplings. Hoopoe was also foraging there, probing for grubs under the soil. Then he flew low in stages across valley road, up rocky hillside to west. Landing on rocks along the way, raising crest.

Gazelles absent again from gazelle field :( Hyrax alarm chirps heard but 'cypress slum' no individuals above ground. . I expect the dynamics of their colony works a lot like prairie dogs.
Bee-eaters and swifts a 'no-show' though husband saw swifts still about two days ago. They should be leaving us soon to head back to Africa.

After dark the stone curlews vocal, but not earlier. A single call amongst them, higher pitched 'kip .....kip... kip' possibly a young stone curlew calling for food.