Feathered Harbinger of Rain

Bird of the day, (Saturday) was the White wagtail! Motacilla alba. Finally! I include a photo courtesy of Wikipedia. These birds classically come here for the winter from central/Northern Asia just before the rainy season begins. Indeed the sky was showing some serious cumulus clouds for a change and we actually felt a few drops blown down on our faces. I'm sure the birds hitch a ride so to speak on the winds preceding these clouds.

Husband and son came in shortly after 1 p.m. to let us know they had the first sighting of the season and I quickly changed out of my house robe, eager to see one within the same hour. We didn't bother going down to the valley for this bird. Instead we simply walked around the block because wagtails like to hang out around human habitation, hunting for small insects on the ground on sidewalk and road. After a few minutes we noticed one in flight, a very characteristic rollercoaster flight path like a large sine wave with an accompanying sharp 'chissik!' call.

Gazelle

Thursday just after sunset, 1 gazelle noticed in the abandonned orchard. We'd been looking out toward gazelle field at the usual grazing spots and it snuck up behind us!:) Good thing we turned round.

Friday: ~2.30 - 3 p.m. A few degrees warmer and somewhat sunnier than our usual window. Turning off the valley road noticed new gazelle hoofprints in the sandy dust on the central trail. A few minutes later saw two gazelle cross the trail to the north. The trail winds somewhat and we noticed them cross again a short while later, possibly a third involved. One was hornless, second had thin shortish horns.

Saturday Dusk. I heard a kick of a hoof as we came up central trail back to the valley road and we spotted a gazelle in the fading light making its way south along valley road, then turning off and heading back into the pines.

Other birds

Returning to Friday early afternoon: - Approaching the bunker ruins I noticed a group of greyish birds alight in that area. Looking with binoculars noticed chukar partridge standing like a sentinel on the ruins. I suspect the rest of the covey was nearby but out of view and that that was the flight I saw. Not far from the chukar an agama lizard was sunning itself.

Senegal doves, (also known as Palm or Laughing Doves) At least 16 foraging on the ground outside the shops at the end of our street, just across the road from crumb corner on Friday. Numerous house sparrows also around. Several noticed today same general area and around neighbourhood in general.

Jackdaw and Hooded crow calls from the east, flock of at least 60 Hoodies up on windsurfer hill today. No sign of hobbies last few days, seems they've moved on, which would explain why Captain Jack has stepped up his profile in the bunker area.

Eurasian Jays their usual loquacious selves, Spotted flycatcher in the eucalyptus grove, possibly same individual staying on a while, Great tit calls last couple of days in the pines, Blackbirds more in evidence, 'chack-chack', 'tsreet' and stepped up their visibility a lot. Sunbirds quite vocal in gardens, neighbourhood in general. Graceful warblers calling and small family groups noticed.

Insects of interest

On friday iIn the pinewoods and on a kind of ragweed growing by the valley road we noticed several Painted ladies, Vanessa cardui a butterfly which sporadically migrates through Israel. More noticed in decorative foliage along a neighbourhood path. Dragonfly also by the valley road and another noticed over the dry creek road approaching dusk on saturday. It might seem as a surprise to find dragonflies up here but they can easily breed in the cistern and they're found all the way up Wadi Qelt, plenty of suitable pools for them. Mosquitoes, their favourite prey, are also plentiful.

My 11 year old son captured a handsome tiger moth Euprepia oertzeni (probably) last night, brought it home to ID and then we released him. About 2 cm long, pure white with black markings like those of a giraffe. He was amazed at its shrill alarm shriek it can make. At first it made him alarmed, which was of course the idea, but then when it became clear to him it was a harmless moth he brought it home.