Turn of the Year

The autumn crocuses usually occur in twos and threes so I was amazed to find this cluster, just off central trail in the middle of east valley pines.

Most autumn crocuses already passed but plenty white winter crocuses about. Also asphodel foliage coming up everywhere in the woods. On the bank, right by valley road approaching the pumphouse, foliage of the wild geranium Erodium acaule (Stemless storksbill) is starting to spread.

Sunday 26th December

weather: 8-18 degrees C, no rain in last few days, winds shifted round to south easterlies all day, sky pretty much clear

however: more stuff sprouting, more purple autumn crocuses in more places, asphodel sprouting everywhere, first seed leaves of milk thistle coming out on the bank.

Gazelle: last thursday 7 seen crossing hidden watercourse just beyond bat cave, adult male taking the rear. None since.

Hyrax: plenty activity late afternoon by valley road, nibbling new thorny burnet leaves

Foxes: ?

Feral cats: one today in woods

Black redstart: none in usual places

Eurasian Jays: call near sapling field today

Eurasian sparrowhawk:one flying over central trail, look out area today

Feral pigeons: on roofs

Stonechat: song in north gazelle field about sunset

White wagtail:

Great tits: calls around sapling field area

Blackbirds: calls about sunset yesterday

House sparrows:calls in garden

Jackdaws: calls, small number flying over from neighbourhood to windsurfer hill

Hooded crows: plenty activity about valley, yesterday nine came down onto end of street to investigate small polythene bag of crumbs, was probably some kind of tasty treat, bisli or bamba or something like that, which crows love.

Laughing doves: foraging on ground in garden

Stone curlews: calls yesterday dusk, direction of north edges of forest

Sunbirds: many calls today in garden

Syrian woodpeckers: calls yesterday in pines

Tristram's starlings: calls yesterday and recently, one or two flying about over our street late afternoon

forest work lately has been more litter gathering, picking up a few saplings blown over, recent winds racing down east valley shoved down quite a few tubes in north field, the soft sapling wood had just bent rather than broken but had to be pulled back asap or they would stay bent. Akiva hammered the stakes in firmer with a rock. We also put out a brush fire by the east watercourse dirt road with rocks so that it would not spread farther along that slope.

Monday 27th December

Gazelle: 3 subadults grazing between olive grove and windsurfer/cistern dirt road. Two together, one short distance away

Hyrax: some active on boulders by valley road, cypress slum colony, some shrill calls also heard

Black redstart: none in usual places

Chaffinch: several on cypress tops near sapling field

Chiffchaff: contact calls

Feral pigeons: roofs

Stonechat: on thorny burnet, east field near small olive grove

Eurasian Jays: some calls

Blackbirds: pre roost chatter

Tristram's starlings: calls and flying over our street

Hooded crows: about as usual, and foraging on valley road

Laughing doves: foraging on ground in garden

House sparrows:chirping in gardens

Jackdaws: calls, flying over

Sunbirds: calls in garden

Sat 1 January 2011

good rain on and off last day or so

Gazelle: 4 north windsurfer where slope gets steeper, four, adult male last, moving from direction of fence to western slopes.

Hyrax: cool and damp, stayed indoors

Black redstart: seen last thursday (30th Dec) on rubble but none since

Stonechat: glimpsed on thorny burnet east field lately

White wagtail:less about lately, perhaps local population have moved toward town as temps have fallen

Blackbirds: calls at dusk off central trail

Eurasian Jays: calls

Eurasian sparrowhawk:1 flew into bunker pines, caused reaction amongst hoodies, cawing and flying about.

Feral pigeons: flocks about rooftops lately

Graceful warblers: glimpsed bank area

Great tits: calls in pines

House sparrows:chirping in gardens

Jackdaws: calls frequent but big flock moving not noticed lately on our walks.

Kestrels: call from direction of neighbourhood

Laughing doves: foraging on ground in garden

Syrian woodpeckers: calls in pines and eucs

Tristram's starlings: calls and flying over lower neighborhood. Prob still using the half built large synagogue

White spectacled Bulbuls: calls in garden

Sun 2 Jan 2011

Gazelle, hyrax: none seen today

Foxes: 2 foxes just beyond bat cave, sitting, grooming, one seemed to be drinking, rock has depressions there that can hold water. Did not see them interact but were just a couple of meters from each other and tolerant of each others presense so likely be mates. After a few minutes both had slipped from view.

Feral dogs: Much barking, several on west hill slope Hizmeh hill. Seemed to dogs lower on slope belong to one pack, 7 or 8 (hard to see, light and distance, this was just after sunset) , but three others higher up belonged to separate Hizmeh based pack and a shepherd's trail along the contour of the hill was the boundary line.. the valley pack had ventured across briefly and the hill pack were letting them know not to come higher. The upper dogs stayed on the shepherd trail, did not want to come farther down , they were outnumbered, but were holding their ground.

Black redstart: none

Stonechat: male seen on thorny burnet in east field, probably quite a few about but did not search, we were lookign for gazelle, saw him incidentally. Did not hear them

White wagtail:no calls

Eurasian Jays: calls east valley

Great tits: calls in north valley near watercourse

Hooded crows: about as usual, jackdaws, calls, and about as usual

3rd Jan 2011

Foxes: 1 by security fence, ran down road, slipped through barbed wire roll ?

Hyrax: heard chittering call but didn't see any active

Black redstart: none

Chaffinch: finches on cypress tops but didn't see which.

Blackbirds: dusk calls

Great tits: calls

Feral pigeons: flying about rooftops over road

Collared doves: 1 out in open east field SW corner, took off to trees as we approached windsurfer/cistern path.

Jackdaws: calls

Hooded crows: about as usual,

Laughing doves: ground, garden

cool, damp, sunny, our tortoise was wandering about garden again at noon.

Week leading to winter solstice

Thursday 16 Dec.

cool, clear, a few high altitude clouds, otherwise cloudless, peaking at 21.5 degrees C

Gazelle: 9 today. 6 in view grazing same place we've seen them lately, east field near fence foot of windsurfer. Another three, well grown young by dry stone walls by small olive grove.

Hyrax: several adults on rocks by valley road

White wagtail:calls. Also Akiva has noticed them again around central bus station mid afternoon.

House sparrows:gardens, buildings

Feral pigeons: around tops buildings

Sunbirds: heard in cape honeysuckle

Black redstart: none in the usual places despite good conditions.

Syrian woodpeckers: calls

Great tits: scolding calls near pumping station.

Jackdaws: flock of at least 80 heading south to windsurfer hill , vocal

Hooded crows: foraging on ground around olives. Old fruit?

Tristram's starlings: heard whistling up in neighbourhood mid afternoon.

Friday 17 December

Sunny 10-18 degrees C

House sparrows: active in garden
laughing doves: active in garden, foraging on ground
white spectacled bulbul: various calls
sunbird: calls in cape honeysuckle
jackdaws: calls, hooded crow calls

Friday 18 December

Clear skies

Gazelle: at least 6 about, mid north slopes windsurfer hill, including adult male, others females and well grown young, grazing together. As we reached top of shepherd's trail two sub adults were watching us, they moved towards fence to join the others, as did the adult male, then all proceeded towards west slopes.

Foxes: as we watched the adult male gazelle a fox walked up onto the top of some boulders just behind him and stared at us, then ran quickly behind. Gazelle and fox ignored each other

Judging by mounds just beyond top of shepherd's trail as it emerges from trees, fresh mole rat activity lately, line of mounds leading to large boulder, and around it

Black redstart: none in usual places despite good conditions, nor chaffinches or stonechats.

White wagtail:calls

Chiffchaff: contact calls

Blackbirds: calls around dusk

Collared doves: 19 on lines, over NE of gazelle field, where watercourses leave area

Hooded crows: calls, activity

Great tits: calls and two different songs around pumphouse area

Jackdaws: calls, activity

Syrian woodpeckers: calls in pines

Tristram's starlings: calls

Monday 20th December

Cool/mild, almost clear skies, some high altitude cloud.

Gazelle: 4 in all. betw windsurfer/cistern dirtroad and small olive grove, 1 adult male with good size horns, I think same buck that was with the herd. Soon after, two subadults together. A little while later another adult buck betw large almond, hawthorns and pine grove in mid north field. I think this latter male is the same male we have seen lately grazing in the small olive grove, moved over NW as the more dominant larger horned buck moved towards olives, but just speculation.

Hyrax: none noticed by valley road

Foxes: 5 sightings though probably just 3 individuals. (1#) was seen just a few feet away from the first adult male gazelle, also gazing back at us, great sight to see, the two of them looking at us and the second time within a week that we have noticed fox near adult male. One wonders if it might be one of those associations you get between species.. like friendships between dogs and horses. Different location , last time it was up near where shepherd's trail comes out of trees but almost definitely same fox and buck. Then shortly after I saw (#2,#3) two running down alongside dry stone walls around small olive orchard, towards fence. Likely that first fox was one of them though not necessarily. A few minutes later I saw another one (#4) ahead of us heading off windsurfer/cistern dirt road and into Pistacia grove. This was a third fox if first fox was part of the duo, or it could have been the first fox. Then Akiva saw #5 by dry stone wall across north field near large almond, likely that was same individual as (#4) . Speculation based on timing and location but clearly at least three individuals involved.

Feral dog: 1 nice red colour on his own, working his way along east watercourse, foraging.

Feral cat: sitting on rock off central trail

Black redstart: finally a sighting again! 1 male looking rather still and a bit fluffed on bunker rubble, not bobbing or hawking, sitting a bit more horizontal and low than usual but clear view.

Chaffinch: female top of cypress. Other small finches about but not clear views

Chiffchaff: contact calls

Stonechat: nice view of male on thorny burnets mid north windsurfer slopes.

Graceful warblers: call by valley road, edge of neighbourhood

Great tits: calls

Hooded crows: calls and flying over, one foraging ground top of ramp leading backs buildings to valley road

Jackdaws: at about sunset flock about 150 birds heading north to south towards Pisgat Zeev, returning from forage to roost, shortly after another ~50

Sunbirds: male seen in willow

House sparrows:about buildings

Tristram's starlings: calls, two seen flying quite high over valley road, changing direction a few times for no apparent reason, and calling.

Tuesday 21st December - winter solstice

Am I feeling the solstice? Something in the air, a sense of excitement, expectation, the sense of turning point, the promise of spring. It seems the trees and earth speak of it and rejoice. Cool/mild, sunny, mostly clear skies.

Gazelle: Lower slopes of hill to north, 4 grazing, females, well grown young. Adult male also in area. In east field, two subadults pretty much where we saw them yesterday, between olive trees and cistern/windsurfer dirt road. Then we saw adult male coming from western slopes following female, he stood for a while at the place the dirt road starts to get steeper. Female continued into open field in direction of young ones but did not join them, grazed in place.

Foxes: 1 on north hill slopes moving west, quick pace along limestone ridge line.

Black redstart: none around bunker rubble

White wagtail:calls

Chiffchaff: some contact calls

Great tits: whistle churr calls in north watercourse acacias

Hooded crows: about as usual

House sparrows:gardens

Jackdaws: the usual large flock 150 +, foraging mid northern hillslopes on the ground, spooked by a rambler, wheeled around but weren't ready to head to roost yet, must be good ground forage

Syrian woodpeckers: calls in pines

Tristram's starlings: calls from hidden watercourse direction, at least two birds

Second quarter of December

Coming down windsurfer hill lower slopes dirt road leading to cistern, facing roughly north east. East field to the right.. this is where the gazelle herd prefers to graze lately.

Thursday 9th December

late afternoon, between ~4 p.m. and 5 p.m. cool, mild. Sky, lots of altocumulus

Gazelle: 8 1 group of 3 sub adults just beyond top of shepherd's trail staring down at us, then a lone adult female grazing down towards the fence near where we saw the small herd yesterday, then two more sub adults on the olive grove side of hill dirt road, then one adult male by himself farther down, then another female in the lower field between the olive grove and cypresses.

Hyrax: a bunch moving quickly oh hillside up from pumhouse

Foxes: 1 heading up shepherd's trail, greyish flanks, reddish head and tail, redder than the individual we've been seeing around the cistern.

Black redstart: none noticed in the two places we've seen them.

Chiffchaff: contact call

Stonechat: glimpses (?) in thorny burnets lower north windsurfer slopes

White wagtail:calls

Eurasian Jays: 1 flew over valley road

Feral pigeons: street, roofs

Great tits: calls in pines

Hooded crows: about, and again, a number perched on tops of cypresses along tree line up from east valley dirt road

Jackdaws: calls

Laughing doves: gardens

Sunbirds: in *song* in Bauhinia midday , sun shining

Syrian woodpeckers: calls

Tristram's starlings: calls

White spectacled Bulbuls:

Saturday 11 December

Gazelle: 15! All in east field. First noticed an adult male grazing in the olive grove area. Shortly after another adult male with slightly longer horns farther towards windsurfer hill, with female not far away. These two moved towards the hill to join a group- now 12 in all, ran down closer to the fence to graze. Shortly after two relatively young gazelle emerged from the woods near the top of shepherd's trail and moved in the direction of the herd.

Black redstart: none in usual places but not surprising since whether windy, probably too much for winged insects to fly or come out at all.

Strangest bird of the day was coo of a *turtle dove.. we both heard it, close by central trail in the pines. Akiva thought he heard an answering call farther off but I missed that. It's possible some remained due to the long warm autumn.

Chiffchaff: contact calls

Great tits: calls in pines

Jackdaws: overhead about sunset, calling

Hooded crows: milling about over us, disturbed, after sunset as we approached pumping station. Akiva theorized that they were unhappy about their roosting trees, blowing about a lot in the breeze.

White spectacled Bulbuls: melodious calls near pumping station shortly after sunset

Sunbirds: some song in Bauhinia midday

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls

Laughing doves: some cooing.

Wednesday 15 December

cold winds and intermittant rain of the last couple of days has cleared up, sunny day with altocumulus and slightly warmer.

Gazelle: 15 today: first, 12 including adult male with long horns, grazing near fence foot of windsurfer hill again. Adult male with slightly shorter horns grazing in olives again, female appeared in his area and they both headed off down through Pistacia grove. Interesting.. though probably the loser of the sparring match and herd, he still gets company. A third adult male then seen north east field beyond cistern on slopes near fence there.

Black redstart: none about in usual places

Chaffinch: at least two about, tops of trees.

Chiffchaff: contact call about sunset

Stonechats: several about, on tops of thorny burnets in east field, active

White wagtail:several calls

Hooded crows: small flock about, perching tops of trees or flying about, cawing

Jackdaws: flock of 100-150 flying about near road or perching on olives, very active and vocal

Laughing doves: garden

House sparrows: garden,

Sunbirds: 4 in cape honeysuckle, prob family of this year

Vegetation: More asphodel sprouting, one winter crocus seen near top of shepherd's trail, also a 3 spot dianthus amongst thorny burnets same area. More autumn crocus on hillside and shepherd's trail,

December begins

Coral gum fresh growth.. by east watercourse dirt road.. several little coppices of new growth sprouting around the trunks of felled trees.

First Jerusalem autumn crocus! Found near the top of the shepherd's trail, where it emerges from the shade of cypress and pine onto the hillside. I saw no others anywhere but I had a feeling I'd find one there, seems to be a relatively rich patch, reliable for autumn squill, orchids and clover variety.

Wednesday 1st December:

Another utterly clear sky, no sign of rain, air cool/mild. 14-24 degrees C, winds extremely light, E/SE, humidity 10-25 %

Gazelle: 3, grazing at treeline up from east watercourse dirtroad,

Hyrax: some activity on boulders by valley road

Black redstart: 2nd sighting, male again hawking on boulder rubble, bobbing, flitting about at sunset.

White wagtail:many calls throughout day heard from house and on walk, definitely seem more numerous than last year

Chiffchaff: contact calls

Eurasian Jays: glimpsed in pines

Feral pigeons: over street

Graceful warblers: call in gardens

Great tits: calls in pines by valley road

Tristram's starlings: calls from up slopes west of pumping station

Jackdaws: calls and flying over heading to roost

Hooded crows: calls and overhead heading to roost

Sunbirds: song and activity in Bauhinia

Saturday 4 December

Weather continuing dry- another clear day, no clouds, winds SE light to non existent. temps 14-23 degrees C. humidity, low, generally under 20%

Gazelle: 4 - 3 grazing down by fence east field, amongst long dry grass and Inula

Hyrax: a number active on boulders by valley road today and thursday

Foxes: 1 coming from dry stone wall near fence, small olive grove, made its way quickly into field, disappeared into scrub or watercourse

Black redstart- none since wednesday but probably arrived too late.

Stonechat: 1 on long hard stem emerging from thorny burnets, east field

White wagtail:calls heard throughout day

chiffchaff: contact calls in pines thursday, didn't notice today

Blackbirds: alarm calls dusk

Hooded crows: heading over to roost, calls.

Great tits: calls in pines

House sparrows:chirping in garden

Jackdaws: large flock heading over windsurfer hill about sunset

Laughing doves: foraging ground garden

Sunbirds: garden

Syrian woodpeckers: calls various parts of woods

Tristram's starlings: 2 flying from neighbourhood to Hizmeh early afternoon thursday

White spectacled Bulbuls: calls garden

Sunday 5th December.

cooler

Gazelle: At least 4 gazelle grazing around almonds and hawthorns in north field around sunset, including adult male.

Hyrax: not out today, though we went by cypress slum area at the usual time. Perhaps it's a little chill.

Black redstart: we arrived at bunker rubble just after sunset, light fading fast so probably just missed him heading up to roost.

White wagtail:many calls

Chiffchaff: some contact calls in pines, less than usual.

Blackbirds: alarm calls at dusk

Eurasian sparrowhawk: Akiva saw over east valley woods, crows putting up a racket there, perhaps because of the raptor

Feral pigeons: over street

Graceful warblers: calls

Great tits:calls in pines

Hooded crows: over as usual and windsurfing off the hillside, south west slopes, now a building site. At least three tiers are being prepared below the level of the houses on villa hill and extending onto south west slopes of windsurfer hill, this development straddles the saddle watercourse so that may be disrupted, hopefully most of it will be spared.

House sparrows: garden

Jackdaws: over valley

Laughing doves: garden

Syrian woodpeckers: calls

White spectacled Bulbuls: calls by Pistacia orchard/look out corner area

Monday 6th December

Rain by 7 a.m.! Skies overcast and drizzling then, ground somewhat damp, hard to know for how long it had been raining.

By late afternoon no water still flowing in east watercourse but plenty evidence it had. Air heavy with scent of eucalyptus oils, cool/mild. Sky partially overclouded, large cumulus.

Gazelle: none seen in north field

Hyrax: calls heard

Black redstart: too late again

Chiffchaff: contact calls in pines

White wagtail: many calls throughout the day

Blackbirds: 1 in *song* somewhere past the bridge

Feral pigeons: cooing and active

Graceful warblers: calls

Great tits: calls

Hooded crows: active and vocal up in eucs and other tall trees by east watercourse dirt road

House sparrows:active and vocal in gardens

Jackdaws: active and vocal over hills

Laughing doves: active in garden and cooing earlier

White spectacled Bulbuls: harsh calls heard toward sunset

Wednesday 8 December

First autumn crocus of the season!, and only one I found, near the top of the shepherd's trail.

Damp, and eucalyptus aroma still strong along east watercourse dirt road

Gazelle: at least 11 in east field: at least 8 grazing close to fence near north foot of windsurfer hill, another four between the hill dirt road where we were, and the other gazelle.

Hyrax: calls, but not seen out and about

Black redstart: none at bunker rubble but one male on dry stone wall in east field, just beyond the cypress grove, I would assume a different male, territory too far from bunker.

White wagtails:calls heard

Great tit heard in *song* up somewhere in trees on slopes beyond pumping station

Hooded crows: much calling, birds heading over to roost

Blackbirds: calls heard

House sparrows:chirps in garden

Jackdaws: flock betw 100 and 200 birds fanning sky, heading over from neighbourhood toward Hizmeh

Syrian woodpeckers: calls

White spectacled Bulbuls: calls

Laughing doves: garden, but now it's wetter the sunbirds are keeping relatively low profile.

Asphodel foliage coming up in some places, fresh coral gum growth in many, most Inula gone to seed.

Week starting Sunday 21 November

Sunday 21st November

temp 13-22 degrees C, cooler, breezier, looks like wind is changing. Looking at weather reports, winds shifted from easterlies to north westerlies about noon time, and picked up. Still light breeze. Also scattered small cumulus noticed coming in.

Gazelle: Adult male grazing in middle of gazelle field, amongst the saplings. Another 2, female and/or well grown young, grazing in ploughed area beyond almond row.

Feral dogs: apparent family group of 4 just north of sapling field near east watercourse, smallest dog with harness, strangely enough, interested in a bitch that seemed to be lactating, alternately trying to get milk and trying to hump her but without success at either. The dominant dog and bitch barked at us, and the dog came quite close to us barking threatengly, clearly wanting us to leave his territory but hesitant to attack as we turned to face him down. Picking up a rock clearly made him more cautious. I only intended to use the rock if he would actually attack but would keep it as a threat as long as he threatened us, basically giving him the message that we would pass through his territory at our own pace. He desisted as, it seemed, we left his borders not far from the Pistacia orchard. I've never seen the feral dogs this aggressive before, could be times are hard with the extended dry season.

No winterers noticed but for white wagtail, some calls heard.

Graceful warblers: calls heard from nearby gardens or across street.

Greenfinches: calls heard from garden next door?

Hooded crows: passing over towards sunset
Jackdaws: calls heard
Sunbirds: song heard in Bauhinia from early, before 9 a.m.but sounded scratchy, younger male practising, not the usual male.

Syrian woodpeckers: calls heard

Monday 22 November

Gazelle: 1 adult male grazing by the large almond and hawthorns, another individual, well grown young or female also by hawthorns.

Reptiles: 1 Lacerta lizard by flowerbeds upper part of neighbourhood, the brown and green kind with thin stripes down the flanks.

Black redstart: none

Chaffinch: several, on cypress tops near pumping station.

Chiffchaff: contact calls in pines, as have been heard every day lately.

White wagtail:many calls all day, and seen flying over

Blackbirds: no calls today

Eurasian Jays: active in pines

Eurasian sparrowhawk:glimpsed over pumping station (?)

Feral pigeons: rooftops

Hooded crows and jackdaws, much milling about and calling of several hundred birds over east woods/Pistacia grove area not long before sunset, more than the usual excitement but cause not seen, no large raptors or anything else unusual noticed. Syrian woodpeckers: calls

House sparrows: chirps in garden early afternoon,

Laughing doves: cooing and foraging on ground midday

White spectacled Bulbuls: calls

Tuesday 23 November

Temps cooler, westerlies. 10-21.5 degrees C

Gazelle: 3 in ploughed area behind almond row.

Foxes: 1 sniffing about near cistern before sunset, probably the regular individual.

White wagtail: calls, around building roofs, chiffchaffs: contact calls in pines.

Great tits, greenfinches, jackdaws, hooded crows, Eurasian jays : active and vocal

Sunbirds: young male outside window

stone curlew: calls

White spectacled Bulbuls: calls?

Wednesday 24th November

Gazelle, hyrax : none noticed

Foxes: 1 on north dirt road, not same individual we have seen around the cistern, this one has darker fur.

Black redstart: still none

Chiffchaff: contact calls, White wagtail:some calls

Eurasian Jays: calls, Blackbirds: alarm calls at dusk

Eurasian sparrowhawk: glimpse

Feral pigeons: some about roofs

Greenfinches: calls, Hooded crows: flying to roost

House sparrows, laughing doves :gardens

Sunbirds: garden subsong

Tristram's starlings: calls from betw neighbourhood and windsurfer hill somewhere, over pumping station or farther south

Thurs 25th November

Gazelle: at least 9: 1 adult buck then 2 groups of three (females and immatures) in sapling field moving gradually to north. Then two adult bucks, one chasing other, came down hill south of pumping station, ran swiftly over dirt road near bridge and on into sapling field. After this saw several individuals as we made our way north but no way to know if these weren't ones already seen.

Hyrax: churring calls from up slope near pumping station

Foxes: none, Feral dogs: barks

Feral cats: 2 on boulders by road cypress slum colony area, possibly trying their luck with the hyraxes

!Black redstart: 1st of season, seen at sunset on concrete blocks of rubble, male, bobbing and a flight

Chiffchaff: ~contact calls

White wagtail:calls heard all day

Blackbirds: alarm calls, Eurasian Jays: seen in pines but quiet

Feral pigeons: rooftops,

White spectacled Bulbuls: calls?

Graceful warblers: calls, gardens

Great tits: calls in pines

Sunbirds: calls, Jackdaws: calls

Syrian woodpeckers: calls and glimpsed

Hooded crows: over, and on windsurfer hill, flock on ground.

Monday 29 November

Felt cooler today but still dry, 16.5-22.5 degrees C

Gazelle: Today, adult male up on skyline viewed from east watercourse dirt road. Yesterday about sunset, adult male crossing valley road from bank, then down into pines. Also a couple grazing in north end gazelle field, backs to me.

Hyrax: some activity lately

Chiffchaff: contact calls in pines

White wagtail:calls flying over and about neighbourhood.

Eurasian Jays: about pines as usual.

Blackbirds: alarm chatters at dusk

Feral pigeons: about roofs

Graceful warblers: some calls.

Hooded crows: flying over, heading to roost, tops of trees, over pisgat zeev, over windsurfer hill

House sparrows:gardens, some chirps heard some days. but relatively quiet lately

Jackdaws: calls from Hizmeh hill, also flying over pisgat zeev and windsurfer hill

Laughing doves: some coos, about gardens.

Sunbirds: song in Bauhinia from mid morning, calls in cape honeysuckle

Syrian woodpeckers: calls in pines and eucs

White spectacled Bulbuls: calls?

Week starting Sun 14 November

Sunday 14 Nov.

Temps: mild, 18-28 degrees C, clear skies, low winds, SE, low humidity. 12-35 sharavi

Gazelle: 2 East field, grazing between trees and olive grove, not far from dirt road down from hill
Fox: on central trail ahead of us, headed towards east watercourse, looks like the individual we usually see in that area.

Bats: over valley road, have been seen almost every evening last few weeks.

Black redstart: still no sign

Chiffchaff: contact calls in pines. Other forest winter birds not noticed but for White wagtail: calls throughout the day

Blackbirds: calls, Eurasian Jays: calls, Hooded crows, over, heading to roost, jackdaws calls

House sparrows: calls in garden trees, Sunbirds: activity in Bauhinia, at least two, chase. White spectacled Bulbuls: calls
Monday 15th November

Gazelle: 2 in pinewoods woods by owl glade, mother and well grown young. Then adult male seen grazing in gazelle field amongst the saplings, near centre watercourse.

Foxes: heard barking hoarsely and repeatedly north west of gazelle field/direction of bat cave. Mating season?

Feral cat: 1 hunting by rocks, cypress slum hyrax colony, possibly hoping for chance of hyrax kit.

Chiffchaff: contact calls
White wagtails:calls heard from house

Greenfinches: calls

Hooded crows: heading over to roost
Sunbirds: singing in Bauhinia again before 10 a.m. calls in the 3 pines by bunker rubble

Syrian woodpeckers: calls

White spectacled Bulbuls: social hoarse calls, settling down to roost, from bank.

Tuesday 16 Nov

Gazelle: 1 grazing way down north east gazelle field, too far to see gender

Hyrax: Akiva saw on his way down, photographed.

Fox: 1 through barbed wire betw pine grove and fence, down from olive grove, stopped and sat on haunches, watched us, moved on a few paces, haunches again, then lay down on ground, watching us.. feeling too self conscious to hunt?

Black redstart: looked for at rubble and gazelle field, still none . No other winterers but for white wagtails, frequent calls through day over street, and heading over late afternoon to roosts.

Lark like bird but no crest noted, dark stripe through eye, paler supercilium, coarsely striated upper parts, pale under, squatting low on boulder lower north slopes windsurfer hill.

Blackbirds: alarm calls sunset

Collared doves: 1 in flight, no calls

Eurasian Jays: calls

Eurasian sparrowhawk:1 over central trail heading south.

Greenfinches: calls

Hooded crows: numbers on top of windsurfer hill.

Jackdaws: some flying over towards neighbourhood and calling

Sunbirds: calls and song in Bauhinia from mid morning

Syrian woodpeckers: calls in woods.

Thursday 18 Nov

Weather similar, clear skies, dry, south easterlies, warm, just under 16 degrees C to just over 26 degrees C

Gazelle: adult male. Yesterday adult male and another individual seen, perhaps a third, a little earlier by cistern but didn't see where it went.

Hyrax: some activity last two days.

Feral dogs: 2 on north watercourse trail heading for shaft

Feral cats: 1 near hidden watercourse.

Bats: dusk, over valley road

Black redstart: no sign, nor other winterers but white wagtails frequently heard both days.

Blackbirds: alarm calls about dusk

Eurasian Jays: calls

Eurasian sparrowhawk:1 passed over look out area both days approaching sunset, today a little later and closer to eucs, glimpsed again as we walked up east watercourse dirt road. Also heard from direction of shaft yesterday

Hooded crows: calls, flying over

Jackdaws: calls and flock moving at sunset towards PZ?

Laughing doves: ground, garden

White spectacled Bulbuls: calls garden

Sunbirds: calls in garden

Syrian woodpeckers: calls

Tristram's starlings: calls yesterday over windsurfer to south

Sat 20th November

16-26 degrees C , winds E/SE/S and light. Much dust and pollen in the air

Gazelle: none seen anywhere in north or east fields in hour before sunset

Hyrax: activity around cypress slum and pumphouse colonies

White wagtail: calls heard. No other winterers noticed.

Blackbirds: alarm calls heard various parts of pine woods shortly after sunset

Jackdaws: calls heard various times of the day

Eurasian sparrowhawk: seen flying over east pinewoods, large individual, grey.

Graceful warblers: calls

Hooded crows: heading over to roost.

Laughing doves: coos heard about gardens and buildings late afternoon, haven't heard much lately

*Stone curlews: calls heard at dusk, first in a while

Sunbirds: song heard in Bauhinia, calls various parts of garden.

Eurasian Jays: calls

White spectacled Bulbuls: calls

A rather sorry looking hyrax noticed by Akiva, some way north of cypress slum colony, perhaps an exile unless there is still a small colony in that area by the school.

Several of these noticed in ploughed area beyond the almond row, roughly 'furred' leaves, largest examples whole rosette over 1 metre diameter .

Early Kislev, week round-up brief reports

Sunday 7 November, Rosh Chodesh Kislev

Gazelle: 1 ploughed area, female

Hyrax: chittering alarm calls pumphouse colony

White wagtail: heard frequently during the day over the street, group of a dozen plus seen flying over Shadiker.
none of other winter visitors seen or heard

Feral pigeons: on and over buildings

Graceful warblers: calls, also heard from house so in garden or nearby garden

Great tits: some calls

Jackdaws: calls, about

Hooded crows: about, heading to roost

Hoopoe: 1 seen flying to end of Shadiker

House sparrows:about buildings and gardens, chattering, settling to roost

Laughing doves: on ground in garden foraging after food we put out for guinea pigs

Sunbirds: active and vocal, song in Bauhinia over hottest hours of the day

White spectacled Bulbuls: 1 seen around buildings, Shadiker

Tuesday 9th Nov

Gazelle: 1 crossing look out area as we approached from central trail.. young adult male from horns. Lots of tracks and some dung on the way from shaft to bat cave along recent man made trail (dirt buggy?)

Fox: repeated barks from direction of small olive grove, glimpse of dark individual running in tight arc over there.

No good sights or sounds of winter visitors in last couple days, has been quiet, clear skies, mild weather

Blackbirds: some alarm calls dusk east watercourse

Feral pigeons: about buildings, roofs as usual

Graceful warblers: some calls

Hooded crows: flying over towards dusk to roost, straggling loose flocks and individuals, relatively quiet
Jackdaws: calls on and off throughout day and yesterday.
Sunbirds: active, vocal in cape honeysuckle, singing in Bauhinia

Wednesday 10th Nov

Gazelle: tracks esp at Pistacia orchard

Hyrax: did not pass colony

Fox: usual greyish individual around the cistern, crossing to and fro, sniffing for food, then some barks from towards fence, pine grove,

Black redstart: Might have been, on bunker rubble saw shape, moving head, distance but no bobbing or flights.
Stonechat: calls from just beyond Pistacia grove

White wagtail:calls throughout day on and off heard from house.

Blackbirds: alarm calls about dusk.

Eurasian sparrowhawk: wheeling over look-out corner towards sunset

Hooded crows: heading to roost
Jackdaws: calls various times during day
Sunbirds: calls in pines by bunker rubble

Syrian woodpeckers: one on eucalyptus by us while we looked for black redstart
White spectacled Bulbuls: calls in garden midday

Thursday 11 Nov.

again, clear skies, mild, much pollen in the air probably mostly Inula.

Gazelle: 2, first up slope by east watercourse dirt road, tree line, short thin horns, other grazing near cistern pine.

small winter birds, no show but for white wagtails, heard frequently through the day.

Blackbirds: some alarm calls at dusk in woods, Eurasian Jays: some calls. jackdaws, calls several times through day. Syrian woodpeckers, some calls in woods,

laughing doves, foraging on ground in garden. sunbirds: active, melodious calling in cape honeysuckle, White spectacled Bulbuls:some calls in gardens

Saturday 13th Nov

Weather, a little cooler but still mild 17-27 degrees C, various altitude clouds passing over since thursday afternoon but no rain.

Gazelle: None in any of the usual places, Hyrax: did not pass colonies

Interesting softbill noticed on line near ramp down from back of building to valley road past acacia. Took off numerous times hawking for flies and landing again. Pale underside, pale brown, perhaps reddish tints on top, no streaking noticed, if anything, nightingale like jizz, not right for a spotted flycatcher, don't know if they'd hawk in open like that and so near houses, didn't see for long and light not favourable, and hardly saw wings and back.

Blackbirds: seen, heard around dusk alarm calls. Eurasian Jays: calls heard in pines,

Eurasian sparrowhawk: flew over flood garbage area (north watercourse dirt road) about dusk, from north gazelle field towards woods to south. Notable because we've seen this flyover there at this time numerous times in last seasons.

Black redstart, still none. Chaffinch: none noticed,

Chiffchaff: contact calls heard in pines, Stonechat: possible, by north watercourse, White wagtail:calls heard

Great tits: calls in woods near valley road.

Greenfinches: some twittering calls,

Hooded crows: heading overhead to roost, some calls

House sparrows:twittering heard from house in trees, Graceful warblers: heard from house, in or near garden.

Jackdaws:some calls heard

Laughing doves: about house, on ground

Sunbirds: calls and twittering heard in garden trees.

White spectacled Bulbuls: calls heard in garden, also active by valley road.

Hot start of November, camping in Old city.

Inula in watercourse, coral gum, many saplings planted early last spring now 6/7 feet high.

Monday 1 Nov

Gazelle, 1 male adult good sized horns, 1 younger male judging by male type horns but half size of other. Under pines north of central trail, peaceful with each other, just walking and grazing together.

Fox, in woods just west of gazelle field, I think same one we saw the other day, looked at us.. as I was taking pics of Inula in the watercourse it stared curiously at us. When we looked at it again it turned and trotted off under the trees.

Blackbirds, jackdaws, hooded crows,

In garden: bulbul, melodious calls.


Tuesday 2 Nov

Just before 3 a.m. distinct ticking sound in the garden or nearby garden, sounded like European robin! first of season heard.

Sky totally clear, wind low, temps cool/mild.

No gazelle in north gazelle field but found adult male grazing in the small olive grove, not far away, an adult female. Then three young adults/well grown young out in the field between the gove and WS hill. 5 altogether.

Foxes, two, one apparently chasing another fast along dry stone wall around the small olive grove and by security road. That was dramatic!

Brief and not completely distinctly heard sequence of calls in thorny burnet area between us and grove.. sounded like stonechat.

Also about: jackdaws (calls, in flight in open) , hooded crows (overhead, about hill, relatively quiet) , collared doves (betw. ground and pines, v quiet) , syrian woodpeckers (calls, brief view) , graceful warblers (typical habitat), chiffchaffs (foraging pine tops, some contact calls.) ,

garden: sunbird singing since shortly after 9 am in bauhinia, very active, feral pigeons on rooftops and over, some melodious bulbul calls, white wagtail calls, also on walk.

rubble and stone walls repeatedly scanned for black redstarts, no luck. Also still no sight or call of chaffinches in treetops. Climate change factor?

Wednesday 3 Nov.

early afternoon: Butterflies on Inula - whites, a small blue and salmon Arab, several more of the latter seen over the next few days various parts of town.

active and vocal: jackdaws, great tits, syrian woodpeckers, Eurasian jays, graceful warblers, chaffinches ? robin up south slope tick tick?

watched half a dozen chukar partridges across north watercourse making their way single file amongst the rocks. A little later approaching quarry area a larger covey, at least double, took off from ground ahead and to south of dirt road and headed up the slopes. hoopoe flew into pine behind.

gazelle across watercourse under pines, buck, then another two together, female and well grown young or two subadults, not good view

Sat and watched a hooded crow extracting pine nuts from a cone on top of a boulder just a few metres away. Tristram's starling whistles coming from direction of quarry several times.

Kestrel calling stridently, wheeled about, landed on one of quarry hoppers, alarming a flock of feral pigeons that usually perch up there. Soon they realized the kestrel was not a threat and came back to settle back on the other hopper. (a little earlier another kestrel or perhaps same one flew about, landing on top of cypress, nice view).

Watched hyraxes on the limestone steps on approach to quarry, adults, sub adults, no youngsters, walking single file and foraging,

Black redstarts about? Not confirmed. Positive on stonechats though, first of season! in scrub sides of second south quarry near the several floor buildings, bulbuls also about in that locality.. this approaching sunset.

best view of the day: between last eucalyptus grove by north valley watercourse and pines at about 5.15, dusk, very nice views of hawking nightjar twisting gracefully and silently, swooping in and out, up and down.. hawking something between style of bee-eater and bat. At least two bats also about same area. That was lucky! (I brought Akiva to same spot following saturday evening but no luck, bats but nothing more.. this was probably just passing through) Amazing, sweet.

Thursday morning 4 Nov. camping on Har Tzion behind Dormition abbey so could view and hear birds from dawn on quite clearly.. and it was getting light progressively after 5 a.m.

Hooded crows, jackdaws active and vocal from early. Blackbirds: many using area, gardens and parks and quite a lot of old growth pines, cypress, olives, carobs and much dense foliage of varying heights providing multistorey habitat including oleander, pyracantha, phlox, many others. Laughing doves still cooing, feral pigeons also, greenfinches. Above where I slept soon heard raucous calls of ring necked parakeets in the high trees. Also bulbuls, house sparrows, great tits, sunbirds.

Descended Har Tzion on winding road down to main road, on way heard singing European robin ~6.30 a.m. Also about, Syrian woodpeckers. Heading up to Rova, old city, steps to Cotel, heard Tristram's starling whistles from tops of nearby buildings. These frequent the old city, have seen and heard them there many times, including actually on the cotel (wailing/western wall). Today feral pigeons used the upper niches as usual.

(unfortunately, due to some trivial sores on legs could not get about to do more birdwatching, had to give them chance to heal, frustrating as I am sure there is more good stuff in the area. I also wanted to spend quality time in the Rova/Jewish quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem which I had not visited for a long time)

Nov 5 Friday

Night was dry and not too chill, could sleep under stars, only cold enough for blankets and jackets in the few hours before dawn, trick is only to wear enough layers.

About 5.30 am sounded like every male blackbird around the field was scolding one another. These were later joined by hooded crows and a robin singing very near at hand in Dormition abbey tree above. Back where I had heard a robin yesterday there were at least two in singing dual , one I spotted on bare wood sticking up out of olives, nice open spot, bill open but moving with his notes and singing away beautifully.

around back of David's tomb, cooing laughing doves and feral pigeons again, graceful warblers, great tits, bulbuls, white wagtails, jackdaws, call of hoopoe,

8.30 a.m. Wolfson gardens in the valley below, sunny, warm/hot, clear skies. Ground well watered with green grass and clover leaves, very pleasant and great place for white wagtails to forage, and of course they were making the most of it. A donkey grazed not far off, a kestrel wheeled above and a masked shrike in the trees and bushes behind me called its scratchy call. A spotted flycatcher preened in a fig tree at the edge of the lawns and sunbirds called in from resplendent orange cape honeysuckle just beyond, and active in various other suitable places in the area.

Ring necked parakeets also very active in a date palm on corner just outside old city near crossing to Jaffa road and old city hall building. The dates were somewhat hard, fibrous, just barely edible for humans but probably sweet and palatable enough for them.

A few hours later headed home for Shabbat.

Saturday 6th November:

Again, pretty warm though some high altitude clouds coming in. House sparrows about, We started our walk not long after 4 p.m. Jackdaw and hooded crows active as usual, jackdaws vocal, bulbuls in street gardens. Descending ramp from back of buildings to valley road I usually check the acacia before we get too close to scare anything. It's usually used by bulbuls and such. Today a chiffchaff was in plain view in the middle foliage.

Best today: near pumping station heard the distinct 'pink' sound and looked, top of tree nice view of chaffinch, first definite of season! Looked for black redstarts in usual places (back of buildings near ramp, bank near pumping station, bunker rubble) but apparently none about yet.

1 gazelle near large almond, adult female,