Brief weekend round up

Another summer east field view, this one through part of the eucalyptus grove toward the olive and almond grove and Hizmeh.

Thurs: 6 Aug - Sat: 8th

Gazelle: No luck thursday, today, see below.

Hyrax: T activity and barks at Shadiker colony, some of them sound a lot like the chucks of chukars.

Reptiles: Gecko near the house small hours of the morning. S: active early morning Shadiker colony

Tristram's grackles were the bird of the day. T A pair by the quarry, left the abandonned building as we arrived, flew to a male flew to a rock nearby and whistled 3 tone call several times.. the female (apparently, from grey head) joined him, they flew across the quarry to wall across, flew around, came back.. visited the inside of the building several times while we were there. We didn't hear calls from inside the building but wonder if they have a nest in there, a late brood based on their movements. S: early morning whistle heard from bipass road area.

Bee-eaters: T Calls around dawn, also a group of at least 15 flying over north valley to and fro, hawking.
Turtle doves: Seen visiting cistern to drink. They fly to the edge, then down to the rocky island within.

Blackbirds: T alarm tzit and chak heard from trees up from north valley dirt road. S: early, brief song heard by hus.

Collared doves: T Coos and seen here and there S: several drinking at cistern, some coos.

Eurasian Jays: T Active here and there between trees. S: calls and glimpsed

Feral pigeons: T On top of and flying between buildings.S: flying about

Graceful warblers: T Some calls.S: calls in various places

Hooded crows: T A few flying and windsurfing up by A Ram, and foraging on the ground there. F,S calls

House sparrows: T Flocks active foraging near Shadiker hyrax colony, flying between there and some dense garden trees on Shadiker. S. about as usual, quieter in the garden, breeders joined flocks.

Laughing doves: T Garden from about 5.30 a.m. on. F: cooing early, S: cooing and about street

Sunbirds: T, F, S some alarm calls from the garden. : alarm calls in the garden

Syrian woodpeckers: T, S: calls from the trees

White spectacled Bulbuls: T Amusing this morning: one started up very enthusiastically at 5.20 a.m. right outside my window as if to say 'you've been telling the world I've been sleeping in a bit more everyday, eh? well get an earful of this!' Also heard before dawn on friday and saturday.

Husband also heard chukar early this (saturday) morning and at that time glimpsed a gazelle without noticeable horns near the top of the shepherd trail, lower slopes of windsurfer hill. Jackdaws also about.
More wasps and flies evident lately. Crickets and cicadas heard, bats about.

Weather: Today: Range: 19- 29 degrees C ( 66.2- 84.2 degrees F), wind mainly westerly, backing more sw in the morning and early afternoon, veering more nw and picking up later afternoon and evening. Humidity: minimum ~40% early afternoon, ~95% peaks small hours of the night last night and now.