Rut and raptors

Clear skies again.

~ 6 p.m. 23 degrees C and falling, humidity 67% and rising, wind from west veering north west at 8 rising to 12 kt.
At about 6 p.m. we were able to see about half a dozen gazelle in the north field all the way from the turn in the valley road. Through binoculars we could also see that the buck was making definite mating attempts, his female making little effort to resist. However, by the time we walked the loop and reached look-out corner down below the group was not in sight, either wandered further east toward the pine grove and on to east field or back behind the pines of north valley. Husband said 'they must have got a room' .

Hobbies were lively in the area.. a sharp 'kee kee kee kee kee!' from the eucalyptuses on look-out corner and there was Cap'n Jack (the sparrowhawk) in the air over the orchard, winging south. I expected the hobbies and the sparrowhawk would feel competitive over the area. Cap'n Jack was outnumbered today, it turned out there were three hobbies if not more in the area. We saw them all flying over the end of north valley, splendid to watch as usual like a but over the next hour they winged over gazelle field, the pine and eucalyptus groves and the orchard.

About a dozen collared doves were perched on the lines over the north part of gazelle field. Husband noticed them suddenly take wing as four brown jobs crested the hill to the north east and headed for north valley. Large dark brown patchy raptors, with the fading light I couldn't make out well what they were but one of the buzzards for sure. At least one was still in moult, we could see a loose wing feather trailing. The hobbies have also not quite finished their moult, we noticed a flight feather drop off in flight a couple of days back. The buzzards weren't really much of a threat to the doves - hobbies would be more so since they can manoevre far better. One of the buzzards came low and passed over the field at just 10-15 feet which was one of those 'wow' moments because with more background you can see how big the wingspan really is. Again, I'm sure these birds are going to roost overnight there and move on south in the morning.
Apart from the raptors we noticed small flocks and groups of greenfinches, calls of Syrian woodpeckers, Jays, jackdaws, hooded crows, but hardly anything else- I'm sure the hobbies kept them all in low profile. Around the buildings, Senegal doves, House sparrows, bulbuls and sunbirds.. I'm still being serenaded many times a day by the male about two feet from my window. Do you remember some weeks ago when I mentioned so many flocks of house sparrows gathering grass seed in gazelle field? I didn't stop mentioning them being there because they were commonplace, but that they had changed their activity patterns and no longer bother ranging all over the woods and fields, at least, not where we go