Firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus) , a Heteropteran bug very common at this time of year. This mating couple is on the cape honeysuckle and other leaf litter on the steps to our apartment door this afternoon. (Monday) Numerous other individuals of various sizes and at least one other mating pair were in the vicinity.
I also spotted one adult caper bug on a leaf of a caper bush this afternoon. I noticed the caper bushes this year are doing very well though the leaves seem notably smaller than they did last year, half to two thirds the size of normal caper leaves. The flowers are normal and pods are developing already on some clumps. Husband, remembering the damage the capers suffered last year at the hands, or rather the hungry mouths, of the bugs, flicked off the little fellow!
The clump of globe thistles on the way to the pumping station are not doing anywhere near as well as last year. Akiva thinks it may be to do with chemicals in effluent from drains in the area. Or perhaps last year was a good year.. the failure of the hawthorn bloom this year and other details all over indicates this could just be one of those trough years. (I noted also no Persian buttercups at all, no Malcolmia or blue pimpernel anywhere or the mysterious crimson spike near the saddle watercourse. The digging for young trees could have been a factor in many places, doesn't account for lack of these flowers in undug areas. ) A leaf blight has hit a beautiful fig tree on the edge of the neighbourhood, some of the growing fruits are afflicted.
By contrast orchids did quite well and I have never seen so much winter crocus early this season. Husband thinks it may have been related to the unusual heatwave we had back in January.
A moth spotted amongst the drying vegetation.
A small Satyrid, i.d. d later as Ypthema asterope , also known as common three-ring. Not the most sensational or rare species but I was happy because it was a new one for me! Bath Whites are also still quite common now.
Gazelle: 2 heading up slope beyond north valley watercourse. 5 more seen shortly after north gazelle field, grazing and running.
Bee-eaters, calls, at least 4 seen flying from north valley watercourse to over neighbourhood.
Turtle doves: plenty coos in pines either side of north valley watercourse
Eurasian Sparrowhawk: One flying over north valley watercourse 'up stream' , laboured flying because both against the wind and evidence of moulting. Female?
Common kestrel: hovering over ridge to north, diving intermittantly as seen by Akiva
Graceful warblers: calls in north valley dirt road turn off area/look out corner area.
Syrian woodpeckers: frequent some calls in woods look out corner area
Tristram's starlings whistles heard direction of cistern or around.
Jackdaws: some calls,
Saturday 5th June Much cooler today range 16-26 degrees C
Gazelle: 3 north gazelle field beyond the almond tree line, NW end.. 1 adult buck, two others
Bee-eaters, calls, several over east valley, later over look-out corner , Pistacia orchard area.
Turtle doves: some coos
Syrian woodpeckers: frequent calls
Sunday 6th June: around 5 a.m. before light, Bulbuls, sunbirds, house sparrows in the garden..
Gazelle: 2, north gazelle field.
Bee-eaters, calls heard
Turtle doves: coos
Graceful warblers: active and vocal, various places .
Syrian woodpeckers: some calls
Stone curlew: as darkess fell, from direction of north field.
House sparrows: chirps in garden all day,
Monday 7th June..
Gazelle: Unusual individual seen today on south facing slopes, north watercourse valley just downslope of the pine hangar. Based on horns looked like a female but back was quite densely dappled with white, with white speckling on other parts of coat. Camouflaged very well when she stood, with so much limestone behind. I have never seen this before, though many of them have white markings on top of head. She proceeded with caution as there was a feral dog lurking on the slopes not far away. We wondered if the dog would make some attempt to catch her but it didn't move
Hyraxes, various deep barking alarm calls heard up in pumphouse colony.
Hoopoe: First we've seen in months! One individual foraging on the ground north bank of north valley watercourse, flew off into pines after some minutes.
Bee-eaters, calls heard, a small flock, perhaps a dozen at most but not all in view, over trees between watercourse and neighbourhood, hawking to and fro.
Turtle doves: coos
Swifts: some screams heard
Graceful warblers: active and vocal, various places .
Syrian woodpeckers: some calls
House sparrows: chirps in garden all day.
Below, this cock sparrow found itself totally stuck in a sapling tube. We heard him fluttering futilely a few days ago. We lifted the bottom of the tube from ground level and then he quickly found his way out and flew to freedom. These tubes are designed to trap condensing morning dew after the night's high humidity, watering the sapling. We are on the alert for more trapped birds!
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