Almost a bonsai.

Now you know why I call that colony site 'cypress slum'. Apart from natural limestone, cypress and acacia on that part of the bank there's also a good bit of plastic trash. I'm hesitant to clear it because many of the rocks are loose and I don't want to hurt any young ones that may be under them. The junk also does not seem to do them any harm, they have more sense than to nibble it.

Today at about sunset I decided to check the flat section of limestone between the turn to north valley and the pines just west of gazelle field. These rocks held little puddles through the rainy season and were the site of the mosaic picture of stonecrops and other vegetation back on Feb 5th (#360) . Now they were mostly filled with cracked mud, dried grasses and worn out golden drop. On the edge of this reason I found this little tree, so short the wild grasses next to it tower taller as you see. It's almost a bonsai! The leaf margins were spiny like those of oaks in this region, (not as much as holly) . Below, seed heads of one of the grasses growing in the dried pools.


Husband this large eyed grasshopper type that had apparently stumbled into a web. From antennae and other details of form matches Pyrgomorphella on Rittner's site.

Gazelle: No luck today. Hyrax: lots about along valley road.

Feral dogs: Family of four around the cistern, red/brown and white patched.

Bee-eaters: calls of flock over the woods, busy flying aerial insects as usual.

Hobbies: call heard from middle of east valley woods not long after sunset

Swifts: Calls heard over valley road as it was getting dark.

Turtle doves: coos from the pines by valley road.

Collared doves: Coos, general activity.

Eurasian Jays: Calls and movements amongst the pines

Feral pigeons: about the buildings as usual

Graceful warblers: calls by valley road as usual

Greenfinches: calls in various parts of the pines

I don't even remember right now if we heard jackdaws and blackbirds but probably.

Hooded crows: Calls. House sparrows:about buildings

Laughing doves: buildings and gardens, street

Sunbirds: garden. calls. song?

Syrian woodpeckers: heard and seen amongst the pines

White spectacled Bulbuls: garden.

Forgot to mention, also heard Tristram's grackle whistle yesterday, just before jackdaw flock flew over us.

Weather: temp. range 21-31 degrees C. Time of walk, ~7 p.m. just over 26 degrees. ~43% wind W/NW 4-9