Quick update

Sat July 12th

Today's range: 20-30 degrees C. , winds mainly westerly. Humidity range 25% (midday)-75% (night)

Amazing cloud of bee-eaters over gazelle field about sunset.. just beautiful! At least 100 individuals hawking right over us (we were sitting at the bunker), and later as we headed back along central trail another 20 or so flew to join them from the west or south. The new flock merged with the larger, seemed welcome. Earlier I'd noticed quite a few of them on the ground at the far end of eucalyptus grove, all facing south, and pecking at the ground, maybe for ants.

Quite a few hoopoes seen today flying to and fro across the field. (Last thursday we noticed SEVEN hoopoes on the ground, beginning of the path that leads to north valley, ) probably a family group

2 gazelles, mother and young, north end of gazelle field, just beyond the acacia.

In area also collared doves, turtle doves cooing, greenfinches betw. the pines, Eurasian jays about, sunbird from somewhere near the bunker too. (sunbird also heard in the garden last few days) Some chukar calls, blackbird song and quite a few stone curlew sightings over hillslopes to north, to and fro.

My son caught a small gecko running up the hallway last night, he showed it to me. Had a bluish tinge underneath, had never heard of that on a gecko before. It was otherwise pale but for dark eyes.

Senegal doves and house sparrows around the houses as usual. Plenty hyrax active about sunset.