Bubble wrap effect and Wild tortoises

That Bauhinia is still popping off its seeds. Pods that were green just a few days ago are now dark brown and split. My teenage girls confessed they'd been out there and deliberately set a few off to see how far the seeds would be projected.. usually takes just a little poke.. almost as satisfying as popping bubble wrap! I used to do that with Himalayan Balsam seed pods when I was their age.. there were a lot of them growing like triffids near the banks of the river Taff in south Wales and they did the same cute trick.

June 26th

6.30 ish -7.30 ish upper 20s C and falling, humidity, over 30% much fluctuation. wind west veering north west 8-9 knots

Gazelles no show

Turtle doves: some cooing

Bee-eaters: several hunting at eastern edge of north valley pines, over the western end of gazelle field, couple over all field, perched on bee euc and then back.

Wheatears: none

Great spotted cuckoos 1 across field to pine grove from behind cistern. Too brief a view to determine if mature or not

Falcon again perched halfway up that pylon. A hooded crow was hassling it till it flew a little further north, to the top of another pylon. The crow didn't bother it further, possibly judged it beyond its jurisdiction. I'm thinking same falcon as the other day and immature kestrel.

House sparrows: on street, around bunker and gazelle field; Senegal doves: street; Hooded crows: gaz field, in ones and twos around valley

Jackdaws: none Eurasian Jays: woods , gaz field, dry stone walls several scattered, at the cistern;Feral pigeons: ones and two overhead

Greenfinches: euc and pines around bunker, twittering and calls.. family interactions; Blackbirds: some song

Collared doves: flight calls, coos, a few around cistern; Stone curlews: calls beyond gaz field;Sunbirds: calls garden

Syrian woodpeckers: one at cistern, calls, alarm calls Bulbuls: in acacia on central path approaching bunker

June 27th

6.20 p.m. 30.6 degrees C, falling, wind SW 2.6 kt falling, approaching 30% and rising.

Gazelles: No show

Sitting at the ruined bunker from about 6.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. warm, pleasant.. too many flies but none biting. Elderly kaffiyeh wearing shepherd with his pipe and two young men, could be his sons or even grandsons, watching scores of goats and a piebald horse while we watched for gazelle and birds, enjoyed the sound of turtle doves and twittering greenfinches and the comings and goings of jays and doves, all very nice and peaceful.

Repeatedly heard dry grasses crackling not far ahead.. I was watching out for a snake down there till we saw the cause of all the noise. Nice chunky wild tortoise Testudo graeca at least 15 by 10 cm, mostly dark sandy brown with some almost black markings. They're so cute! . Husband had forgotten camera so regrettably we couldn't get a picture of him for you but I'm going to try to find one as similar as possible. We have one in our garden that we found, lives there quite happily munching on weeds and such in corners and occasional salad donations from us. They're used to the natural local foliage

Turtle doves: coos, couple foraging on path by the orchard, couple at the cistern.

Bee-eaters: Several.. first saw by the orchard in the eucalyptus, then went across the field to hunt at the eastern edge of the pines of north valley again

Wheatears: seems they've all moved on. Great spotted cuckoos.. none today
Hoopoes: 1 foraging on creek path, one flying up path earlier.. possibly same bird, though there are at least three individuals around that area.

House sparrows: foraging all over as usual. Senegal doves: some cooing, on lines by our street.

Hooded crows: Foraging on forest floor, ones and twos scattered all around and over valley.

Jackdaws: still absent.

Jays: Quite a few scattered over gazelle field foraging as usual

Feral pigeons: singles and pairs flying over valley

Greenfinches: Small flock foraging on the ground by and on creek trail near orchard

Blackbirds: alarm calls and some song

Chukars: some calls from creek trail near sapling field end.

Collared doves: Flight calls, some coos, at cistern, woods and gazelle field, foraging.

Stone curlews: calls from north edge north valley 7.30 p.m. 7.40 ish.

Sunbirds: It's almost 8 p.m. one calling in Bauhinia. Was there last night at dusk too, distracting me during globals again!

Graceful warblers: songs and calls in grasses descending to north valley by valley road.

Syrian woodpeckers: Some calls, some light drumming.

Bulbuls: some calls.

Great tits: none seen or heard