Thursday, August 20, 2009

Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday

Above and below, another example of the vegetation found at Wadi Qelt. Same species, lower pic shows slightly more advance stage, and ripe berry. I would not eat these! Below that, yet another species unfamilar farther upstream in our patch.


Now for a brief round-up of local sightings.

Gazelle
: none in last two days.. Saturday: At least two in east field, not together. May have been 3 or we saw same one twice. Husband made out thin horns. The one down between pine grove and olive grove was female and big belly too though wouldn't expect pregnant now?
Hyrax: T alarm chitters and some activity around cypress slum colony towards sunset
Feral dogs: three seen, leader was female and from the way she looks she's got puppies somewhere. Aharon also told me earlier he was aware of puppies in the area.
Reptiles: gecko calls only. (interesting, no agamas seen at all this season yet)
Bee-eaters: Flocks heard several times over the last two days. As we passed the Pistacio grove a flock erupted from the look-out cypresses. Also heard numerous times friday and saturday.
Blackbirds: some chak chak alarm calls heard.
Collared doves: seen in various parts of the woods, on lines, between trees.
Eurasian Jays: Some harsh nasal calls heard up the east bank from east valley dirt road, individuals glimpsed between trees.
Feral pigeons: around and on buildings as usual.
Graceful warblers: Call heard but nowhere near as noisy as they were a week or so ago.
Jackdaws: T Flock up on windsurfer hill, foraging, taking off and landing again, ~200 individuals S: heard.
Hooded crows: Some also up on windsurfer hill, calls heard before dawn.
House sparrows:calls heard before dawn.
Laughing doves: coos in the gardens, several pairs foraging on the sidewalks, crumb corner.
Sunbirds: squeak calls heard in the garden and some song late afternoon, sqeaks also saturday.
Syrian woodpeckers: heard about dawn in the garden or one nearby, heard in forest saturday
Tristram's grackle heard as we walked north up east watercourse dirt road thursday.
White spectacled Bulbuls: raucous calls heard but no melodious calls last couple of days
Chukars: heard from somewhere by pine grove east of cistern about sunset.
2
Falcons up over windsurfer hill sunset but silhouetted, really couldn't say which.

Weather: Weather: temp range today: 19.5-30 degrees C, (~67- 86 degrees C)
winds W/NW/N, 1-12 knots esp late aft, early eve & midnight. humidity: ~25% midday, ~90% last night, 100% now.


No comments: