Four hobbies

Sept 13-15th

Today's weather at about 6 p.m. (time of our walk) : 22 degrees C and falling, humidity ~80% and rising, wind 7-8 kt, W veering NW.

Gazelle group of far north field with the buck not noticed last couple of days but a female was grazing by the dry stone walls ( about 70-80 yards from look-out corner) on thursday afternoon, and female with well grown young was in the same place on friday afternoon. We also noticed gazelle hoof tracks along the centre trail under the pines on thursday afternoon and husband said he'd noticed one well after dark in the woods near there wednesday evening.

Several sunbirds in the cape honeysuckle between our apartment and our neighbours' indicating definite immediately local breeding success. The presence of the young male in our Bauhinia also indicates that, though of course that could be from the other side.. not clear where the territory edges are. Sometimes that can be seen if one sees two males fighting but that was not noticed. Sunbird sqeaks also heard well in the pinewoods in east valley so they seem to be doing quite well all over the place this year. The dry creek path middle territory was definitely successful.

Good to hear stone curlew calls late thursday afternoon. They've been quite quiet lately.

Four hobbies have made themselves quite obvious over the woods over the last few days, flying together, seemingly playing, play fighting, testing out their flight abilities. Probably a family, I'd like to think from the couple that tried to breed here earlier in the season but couldn't prove that.. still, could be though that pair seemed to disappear for while, could just have been keeping a low profile or simply not active in our window over a span.

Friday afternoon: Large bird of prey over hill to the east, very light underparts, dark wing tips. Could have been one of those long legged buzzards but hard to tell more at that distance.

Very dark raptor flew low over woods late afternoon today (saturday), coming toward me, then veered and landed in a pine in north valley. I believe this one was a black kite, unfortunately did not take wing again to give me a more typical profile but I did see a slight fork to the tail and it was being manipulated in kite like fashion.

Other birds.. group of greenfinches foraging around the cones in the pine tree by the ruined bunker, vocal graceful warblers, vocal syrian woodpeckers, vocal and visible hooded crows and jackdaws, Great tit calls, Hoopoe perched in the top of the look-out corner eucalyptus, Jays vocal and visible as usual. Blackbird alarm calls in the woods near dusk on thursday evening. Senegal doves, House sparrows and Feral pigeons around the buildings as usual.