feral dogs

28 June- 1 July

31 degrees C, 12.2 kt W, 28%

2 Gazelles in east field, spooked by pack of dogs, took off west across field for cover of pines A larger and smaller, probably a mom with well grown young.

(Range estimate for this herd (maximum seen at one time, 10, two main family groups) .. at least 2 km by several hundred metres for field range.. about the same again for trees plus at least an extra couple hundred metres wide for some parts of the two valleys. At any time any of the gazelles can be in the fields or under the trees. We don't know if they ever go south of the pumping station but that could add at least a kilometre or so to their range that direction if they do.

hyrax - some activity)

Feral dogs pack of eight.. led by handsome red- brown individual. (using pretty much the same range AND definitely also using the valley south of pumping station. These would be definitely serious predators of injured or young gazelle. The main predators of the herd of gazelle in the south of Jerusalem is a pack of jackals, but I have seen no jackals up here, only canids being just foxes (which prey on smaller game) and these feral dogs. ) Yes, these really do resemble dingoes and dholes a lot in build certainly and in colouring in the case of most. These continued down, checked out the gazelle field, all in neat single file and headed south into the woods by the dry creek. One brown and white individual remained there for some minutes.

reptiles several lined lizards about, gecko calling "tuk tuk" in ruins

Turtle doves: coos

Bee-eaters: several heard

Great spotted cuckoos heard in pine grove to east of cistern

House sparrows, Senegal doves,Hooded crows, Eurasian Jays, Feral pigeons: as usual, our garden sunbird as usual

Greenfinches: still foraging on thistle heads, many juvenile birds about.

Blackbirds: some song

Chukars: family on bunker ruins picking about, at least half a dozen chicks. 1 dustbathing on trail up to east field

Collared doves: flight calls, foraging, active as usual, Stone curlews: very vocal after 6.30 pm, Graceful warblers: foraging grasses start of valley road

Syrian woodpeckers: calls, alarm calls

Unfortunately when we were in the east field I sustained a slight foot injury and decided to rest my foot all of friday. It's still painful but I'm taking care of it and taking it easy. Went down to the bunker today (30th June) before sunset. The heatwave has definitely abated, temps were in mid 20s degrees C, wind was nice breezy west veering south west 15 kt, humidity over 50% and rising.

Bird activity similar to above.. lots of greenfinches busy by the bunker, active foraging for thistle seeds, many juveniles/immatures amongst them. About half a dozen bee-eaters foraging in the airspace between the pines at eastern end of north valley again, a few venturing out to hunt over gazelle field as far as over the giant pine behind the cistern. The cistern itself was visited by Eurasian jays, collared doves and turtle doves as usual. Several hoopoes seen within a few hundred yards of the bunker, I'd guess at least half a dozen regular along paths to bunker and in groves. They seem to love to forage actually on the paths, you think the ground would be harder packed but probably quite a few surface insects to get. An immature wheatear spotted by the path in the middle of the woods, interestingly, first time we've noticed one so far under the trees but still plenty rocky- wheatear friendly little glades they can use. We wondered if he was a 'bob junior' or from another family. Stone curlews quite vocal north valley direction approaching sunset. Usually their calls come from the more open ground at north edges and over where the gazelles graze and beyond though sometimes they sound much closer and as in our observation a couple of weeks ago, they probably also come under the pines toward the bottom of the valley.