Saturday report.

Two young hyraxes at the cypress slum colony. Taken a week or so ago by Akiva

A moth found in the house, also taken by Akiva.

Seed head, of the many kinds in the fields at this time. Taken by myself a few days ago.

A zoom of one of last season's caper bush pics showing the wicked double yellow spines ranged at regular intervals along the stems that turn these clumps of lovely flowers into 'barbed wire'.

Gazelle: 2 (mother and her young likely) . We sat and watched bee-eaters hawk over east field and roving bands of house sparrows after grass seed, it seemed suddenly a young gazelle, no horns and no dark flank bar was staring at us in the middle of the field ahead of us. Could have been low in the grasses or behind one of the dry stone walls. After a minute or so it turned and ran lightly uphill. A little later another gazelle head was looking at us from the same position. This one had thin horns, probably a female, likely the mother of the other. Left horn bent a little more in than the right. We're going to call her ''Lefty"

Hyrax not seen active today though we walked down length of valley road.. perhaps too early yet when we were there.

Syrian woodpeckers, calls heard many times. Turtle doves heard cooing. Collared doves cooing and very active. Tristram's grackle heard flying from neighbourhood area and heading south but other side of trees from us. Great spotted cuckoo heard near north valley watercourse/service road area and another flew over north valley dirt road ahead of us. Great tits heard, blackbirds: two males observed on the ground near the trail up from north valley dirt road to neighbourhood.. posturing and singing at each other from the ground. Territorial posturing no doubt, must be a territory edge there. Graceful warblers heard calling many places. Hooded crows.. small flock up in top of a eucalyptus tree.. broad canopy which allowed most of flock to perch at pretty much same level on top, probably that's why they congregate there so often. Seemed aggravated by something but not clear what. Jackdaws also vocal and active today, flying about over the valleys, to fields to forage. Hoodies also busy on the ground north gazelle field foraging in small flock. Greenfinches heard active, stone curlew calling to east but we couldn't tell if in east field or beyond the fence on the hillside across the bipass road.

Garden: White spectacled bulbul, sunbird and laughing doves this morning. Several pairs Laughing doves active foraging on and by our street. House sparrows also v active.

Weather: 19-28 + degrees C. Time of walk, late afternoon.. 25 degrees and falling, humidity 30%, winds NW 4-10 knots.