4th, 5th, 6th November

Sun: Range 18-26 degrees C, 4 p.m. 24 degrees, humidity ~30%, wind NW about 5 kt though most of morning and some of evening wind veered to SW and dropped.

Sunday and Monday:

Gazelles: No show either day

hyrax: mature sentry on rock by valley road watching us sunday.. alarm calls heard

dogs: some barking by the fence especially night but feral pack not sighted

White wagtails: heard from street sunday late morning.

Chaffinches: Seen both days: Sun, male and female top of cypress, Mon, female top of eucalyptus and small bands.

Redstarts: Black redstart sun on ruins, mon on thistle head closer to west edge of field, this individual looked greyer, probably immature

Stonechats: Nice male on scrub at gazelle's favourite spot on sun, brief call on monday from scrub north of cistern. .

House sparrows: Interesting sighting on sunday, male house sparrow on a wire at the edge of the neighbourhood practising flycatching, launching, chasing insects in flight and landing back same spot. I did a double take, to make sure it wasn't a flycatcher. Tribute to the amazing success of these birds, their versatility.

Senegal doves: Some cooing by neighbourhood on sunday.

Hooded crows: Flocking on windsurfer hill on monday with jackdaws and flight of small groups in various directions.

Eurasian Jays: Active and vocal, foraging in forest and fields as usual.

Feral pigeons: Small flocks and individuals on and between rooftops as usual.

Blackbirds: Dusk 'chack chack' as usual all three days

Collared doves: On security fence and up on high wire north gazelle field

Sunbirds: Heard in gardens

Graceful warblers: Heard in gazelle field and valley road, mon. & sun.

Syrian woodpeckers: Calls heard d both days

Bulbuls: Gardens both days, group down by dry creek heard dusk monday, up on security fence tuesday where stonechats hang out but no sign of them.

Great tits: Calls by valley road

Tues Nov 6: Another day of warmth, dryness and SW/S/SE winds, 10 kt at about 4 p.m. Range 17-30 ! degrees C, Humidity as low as 16%, very dry for up here and now.

Temp. at 4 p.m. almost 27 degrees C, I didn't need my sweater! As far as birds concerned, very quiet and no gazelles or reptiles, though hyraxes heard.

One mystery bird in the little stony field by the saplings (between the dry creek and valley road near the pumping station). This is the field that was used by that family of black eared wheatears back in spring, Bob's family if anyone remembers them.

This little chap was standing on a boulder, flicking just like a black redstart but its tail was black, no sign of red and most of the body was greyish. I tried to edge round to get a view of the front but it disappeared soon after. Only two birds that matched it were blackstart, (see entry for visit to Eyn Geddi back in summer) and (first winter) white throated thrush Irania which is rare and unlikely. It didn't seem to have the jizz of a blackstart from those I remember but I've never seen them up here, birds out of context can throw one off - unless of course it was an immature (first winter) black redstart and tail not fully developed.

Chukar partridges heard not far from pumping station.
Graceful warblers calling in gazelle field till dusk, they must like these conditions!