Balmy day walk

Warm day! Range 20-34.5 degrees C. When we headed out at about 6.30 p.m. temp had fallen to 26.6, humidity 64%, wind westerly 18.3 kt, lovely and brisk! Again the wind swung to the east around midday, that boosts temperatures it seems, those winds are often warmer though usually lighter than the westerlies.

(Heard a white spectacled bulbul outside the window at 4.55 a.m)

Now I'm even more confused by that Lycaenid butterfly in the photo in the last entry. Comparing underwings the orange dots most clearly match the female common blue Polyommatus icarus, yet the boys observed that the upper wings were clearly blue, which would not be the case in the female unless it's a local variation. In pretty much all similar species across the board in that family the females have the more extensive orange spots. I have to throw up my hands and admit I really have no clue and take back my previous two IDs esp the former, except that it's in that family (Lycaenidae)!

1 gazelle noticed today grazing in the middle of the far north end of gazelle field. She noticed us, looked up and simply returned to grazing, unfazed. Hyraxes active today and young above ground by the beginning of our short cut down to north valley from the eastward turn of valley road.

A fair bit of grass has sprouted up in the charred part of the south end of gazelle field, patches here and there. 2 days ago Avremi, our 10 year old, said the mole rats are 'healing' the charred ground by turning it over. I liked that! Plenty fresh excavated mounds there.

Geckoes noticed this evening by the road (and also two nice big ones on the side of field school building at Beit Meir yesterday evening). They are quite active lately, their sharp distinct 'tuk tuk' calls sounding from buildings and rocks in the late afternoons and evenings.

Bird life.. hooded crows commuting to and fro, stone curlews active over the north end of gazelle field, a couple from just beyond the new pine grove took off and flew to the hill - we often see them there and I suspect they bred this year, flew up the field and landed a few flat rocks up from the bat cave. Bee-eaters heard up overhead, just east of look-out corner area. Turtle doves heard just off centre trail. Collared doves cooing as well as flight call heard. (Laughing dove cooing in the Bauhinia at about 7.45 p.m. ) Blackbirds and Eurasian jays active, Syrian woodpeckers, graceful warblers, greenfinches all heard.
I'm sure house sparrows and feral pigeons active too, we walked past those without really registering them, quite unfair of us, they have very good reasons for their success!

chukar prints apparently in the sandy dust at the very south east tip of the neighbourhood.

In bloom right now, squirting cucumber, capers, ragwort, the low pea family plant.