6 p.m. - 7 p.m. 41% humidity, 27.3 degrees C, wind SSW 13.9 kt.
Today we left the valley road early and went down a path into the northern valley for a change. We were delighted to find sunbirds, bulbuls and quite a number of hunting bee-eaters in the acacias along the course of the creek bed, which is almost invisible in this valley.
The path heads through a grove of pine trees before joining the central path on its way to the bunker. On this stretch we surprised a fine buck gazelle, first we've seen in a while. We knew him from his thick based horns, curved in the form of the frame of a lyre Aha, so this is where he's hiding out! He bounded across our path and under the pines, later emerging out onto gazelle field. We saw him a few minutes later grazing with six other gazelle, females and well grown young on the lower slopes of the hill to our north
hyrax - some activity, alarm chitterings
no dogs or reptiles noticed
(In the evening about 10 p.m. ish we took a walk along valley road and found a hedgehog crouched in the middle of the road. He didn't roll into a ball but stood perfectly still, his snout poking out in front and visibly twitching nervously two and fro. On our return walk he was already gone.)
House sparrows, Senegal doves, Feral pigeons along our street, the latter flying overhead here and there as usual. Hooded crows as usual, Jackdaws, some calls, Jays, greenfinches, Syrian woodpeckers behaviour as usual. Graceful warblers calls, JaysCollared dove coos. visiting cistern.
Turtle doves, Bee-eaters, Wheatears, Great spotted cuckoos, hoopoes, chukars, turtle doves, stone curlews, great tits no sign today
Too much human disturbance in the forest today- nothing harmful, just enough to cause the shyer birds to keep a slightly lower profile.
August 4th 6 p.m-7 p.m. ~ 26 degrees C and falling, humidity ~65% and rising, wind W ~13 kt
Gazelles - no show, hyrax - plenty out and about, dogs - barks heard but pack not seen. reptiles:- gecko calling from within the bunker ruins.
*Great Grey Shrike! Long time no see.. in tree in gazelle field.
Turtle doves: Shy individual by the cistern, did not venture in. Seemed a juvenile, back scalloping not fully formed No coos
Bee-eaters: Many hunting over the field, east end of north valley and in eucalyptus grove. Hard to tell how many because scattered.
House sparrows, Senegal doves, Feral pigeons: around houses as usual. Pair of bulbuls in the garden and vocal.
Hooded crows, Jackdaws.. flocks of 70 plus far north gazelle field picking ground.
Jays: Numerous busy and vocal, scattered foraging on gazelle field and in woods.
Greenfinches: Small flocks, social calls and flying from tree to tree around bunker and cistern area.
Collared doves: Several active in bunker and cistern region, coos, visiting cistern
Stone curlews: calls about 6.45 p.m. from approx favourite gazelle grazing area
Sunbirds: Visits to Bauhinia as usual, squeaking and ticking calls, and female noticed.
Male noticed on a roll of barbed wire by the pumping station. Not fully glossy, possibly a young male?
Graceful warblers: calls and song heard from garden
Syrian woodpeckers: Calls from woods and grove area
Wheatears, Great spotted cuckoos, hoopoes, blackbirds, great tits, chukars silent or absent.
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