Agamas sunbathing

Friday: 2.30 p.m. temps: mid 20 degrees C, lovely fanning high altitude clouds over most of the sky, as if fanning out from a point in the south east, could mean rain bearing clouds within a day or two, hopefully, though today's temps have taken a little upswing for the month.

Several agama lizards out basking in the sun on south or east side of large boulders, head usually directed toward top, a couple on the bunker ruins, each at least a foot long.

Black redstart: 1, on a stump by a dry stone wall not far from the bunker ruins.. bobbing, flicking and calling. Was he scared off by a jay and all the agamas or was he just checking out another part of his range?

House sparrows: Busy around houses as usual, now getting very noisy and active as early as 4 p.m. (and on saturday)

Senegal doves: Several foraging around valley road, slope between the road and the buildings

Hooded crows: Jackdaws: several calling and flying over, friday and saturday.

Eurasian Jays: busy foraging in woods and field,

Feral pigeons: Several around.

Sunbirds: One singing beautifully 1.30 p.m. in the Bauhinia just outside my window, a much higher perch than his 'sapphireness' used to choose and this one had strong malachite tints. Different male or just changed his habits? Colours can look different from different angles on these iridescent birds. Another active in the eucalyptuses near look-out corner

Graceful warblers: Calling and active, they definitely seem to prefer to be more active in the hotter hours of the day though calls heard later on Sat. also.

Syrian woodpeckers: calls fri and sat.

Yellow vented Bulbuls: Plenty calls, vocal in gardens especially, and on sat.

Great tits: Plenty calls in the pines off valley road today.

Saturday: 17-26 degrees C,

4 p.m. :21.5 degrees C, humidity: just ~45%, W,WNW, 7kt

Gazelle - 1 grazing in that favourite spot under the largest tree amongst the dry stone walls, mid 'gazelle field' . Still no sign of the group, I search hill sides for them every day. I suspect they're just a bit further off to north west.

Chaffinches: call from north valley pines

Stonechats: Two visible in the scrub between small pomegranate and the cistern, plenty calls toward sunset.

Greenfinches: Plenty twitterings in pines and eucalyptus approaching sunset, haven't heard those in some days.

Blackbirds: 'chak chak' alarm call at dusk