Late July, Early August obs.

Our street (betw centre and top left) overlooking valley. Valley road can be clearly seen just to the right of and down from the buildings, and pumping station just visible at near end. From there a dirt road loops around to the right and away again towards north gazelle field, (top right)

Pic. taken from 'villa' hill just to the south of windsurfer hill. (out of sight to the right)


Tuesday 27th July

sunbird : song in Bauhinia early/mid afternoon

bee-eaters: calls about 6 a.m. but not heard on walk

Syrian woodpecker: call in pines south side of north valley watercourse.

Hooded crows and jackdaws: about , flying over, calls

gazelle: 6 in view (1) in ploughed area behind almond row, north gazelle field, rest beyond grazing amongst the dry grasses and oats.

Hobby: calls from shaft/owl glade pines area

Turtle doves: not noticed today

Blackbirds: 'Moon line' blackbird (? or close neighbour) in song in tree by east watercourse dirt road approaching bridge.

Graceful warblers : calls

Collared doves: some coos and activity by north valley dirt road, betw. trees.

Stone curlew: heard on our later walk, about 10.30 pm


Wednesday 28th July

Bulbul started up about 5.20 a.m.

Last few mornings release of powerful fragrance just after 6 a.m. Only thing blooming in the gardens nearby right now is jasmine. Could it be that?

sunbird : squeak calls shortly after dawn. song in Bauhinia again mid afternoon, calls also heard various places along dirt roads last few days.

bee-eaters: calls about 6 a.m.

Syrian woodpecker: calls in pines

gazelle: 2 in view in ploughed area behind almond row, north gazelle field and dry grass just beyond. 3 more north windsurfer hill, near fence.

Hobby: 2 falcons in air above east field, territorial dispute, one from Hizmeh being 'headed off' by another coming from Mir forest. First seemed to have rufous tail, no bands, spread a little occasionally while wheeling about.. also quite a bit of brown in plumage, and dark top. Couldn't find a match so I'm thinking it was a juvenile.

Turtle doves: not noticed today

Blackbirds: 'tzeet' alarm call
great tits: calls, scolds heard various parts of woods .. several times in last week or so.

Graceful warblers : calls heard on walk and from house.

Collared doves: some coos and activity around cistern area.

Stone curlew: today?

Thursday 29th July- Wednesday 4 August

gazelle: August 3rd: at least 8 by north valley watercourse betw. euc grove near bat cave and ploughed area, small groups. One consisted of two adult males and a younger individual, young male I think. Prob the same two males that have often been seen in the woods near the bat cave. Then female and young seen farther east more out in the open , another small group in ploughed area. 1 buck following another individual along watercourse but not clear if it was one of first bucks we saw earlier.
August 4th: 5 on open west slopes windsurfer hill - two together and three a little farther south. Just up from them a small group of hooded crows were busy doing their windsurfer thing, the breezes were quite brisk up there and perfect for their sport.

Bulbul started up between 5.20 a.m. to 5.45 a.m. over last few days, mostly within five minutes of 5.20, sky dark/just beginning to get light.

sunbird : some squeak calls in Bauhinia and cape honeysuckle, some song or subsong in Bauhinia some days various times of afternoon.

bee-eaters: calls about 6 a.m. or shortly after most days but not seen in valley so much last few days.

Syrian woodpecker: calls in pines, various parts of woods most days.

Hobby: Some high multi-note calls various parts of woods, brief views.

Turtle doves: not heard or seen much lately but probably still about, quiet.

Blackbirds: 'some alarm calls, some brief song heard.

Graceful warblers : calls heard esp by valley road and down near look out corner.

Collared doves: some coos and activity along east valley dirt road, trees.

Period till 10 August:

Occasional sightings of up to about half a dozen gazelle on west slopes of windsurfer hill and north gazelle field, adult buck when seen, in gazelle field.

Hyrax nursing out on a rock- tolerated two nursing but became a little aggressive when another two also wanted to nurse. She would make low pitch grunting sounds and snap at them. The youngsters weren't the smallest I've seen, must have been out and about for a couple of weeks at least. They made occasional low volume squeaking noises as they nursed. The young one in front kept switching from front to back on left sides, perhaps mother is getting dry. She was quite shaggy blonde which showed me that these more mature looking individuals can still nurse.
Bee-eaters regularly heard from house at about 6 a.m.
Bulbuls now starting around 5.30 a.m.
Sunbirds: occasional song/subsong from Bauhinia
House sparrows and Laughing doves, still cooing, about house and gardens as usual
Hooded crows and jackdaws heard.

Afternoon temps between 30- 38 degrees C.

Fire damage and surprise flowers.

Damage to the wattle tree on valley road corner. Ground nearby is charred. Branches facing roughly south east escaped the damage but the rest of the tree is browned. Smoke from another fire down by north watercourse dirt road rises into view.

Above and below, fire damage on the bank between valley road and the lower buildings of the neighbourhood. This is a haunt of hyrax, graceful warblers, blackbirds, bulbuls, sunbirds, , laughing and turtle doves and others. Seasonally also black redstarts and European robins. It is not clear whether these fires are caused by discarded cigarettes, mischievous children or another cause. There does not seem to be enough rotting vegetation in this area to start anything spontaneously but it spreads quite quickly through dried grass and thistles, causing damage to pines, cypress and acacias on the bank.


Sunday 25th July

gazelle: about 7.30 p.m a few gazelle in ploughed area beyond acacias.

Bee-eaters: calls heard, small group flying high over edge of neighbourhood.

Hobby: typical call and seen flying about over Pistacia grove then heading upwind, up over east valley.

Turtle doves: indivual on ground next to cistern with pair of collared doves.

Blackbirds: some high pitched calls by east watercourse dirt road, not present on line.

Graceful warblers : calls heard by valley road

Hooded crows: some seen in flight
Tristram's starlings: calls heard from direction of lower east field

Jackdaws: calls
Collared doves: some coos, flight calls, activity in woods and over fields
Stone curlew: Akiva heard as it got dark, direction of east field.

Bulbuls, Great tits: some calls, House sparrows, laughing doves in and about garden as usual

More fires today: one by service road, young pine grove. There had been a pile of branch cuttings there and that was probably burning. Another fire along north watercourse, other side of the bank, just down from Shadiker.

Monday 26th July

Bulbul heard about 5.10 a.m on Monday morning, later, house sparrows and laughing doves heard, sunbird and at about 6 a.m., bee-eaters, Syrian woodpecker call.

Hooded crows and jackdaws have also been heard about dawn lately.

gazelle: 3- Female and well grown young grazing north windsurfer hill slopes near fence. Another individual, well grown young, farther down slope between first two and the olive grove, looking at us.

Hobby: brief sights in flight, or another falcon. One flying up north valley looked like large falcon, Barbary?

Turtle doves: not noticed today

Blackbirds: 'Moon line' blackbird was singing in pine near loop, just past pumping station. Others glimpsed, heard alarm call other parts of pines.

Graceful warblers : calls

Hooded crows: some about, flying over to roost.

Collared doves: some coos and activity but greenfinches quiet today
Stone curlew: heard clear on our way back as it was getting dark

Those high pitched short calls heard again as we entered cypress grove by dirt road down off windsurfer hill to cistern.. moved to eucalyptus grove but could not find and light was fading fast at that time. Then it was clear that two birds were calling from trees at least 50 feet apart.
Over the last few days I had taken them for a variaton of hobby call but they never broke into a typical hobby call. We recalled months ago when Ruthie was with us and we heard similar calls in this area and she identified them as young long eared owls. Perhaps they were indeed owls this time too. We never heard them fly and they were definitely moving between trees. Owls can move with amazing stealth. They were short, ''kiik'' , a little like a woodpecker's but shorter, more piercing and in some of them, followed by shorter sounds .. like ''kiik - itit''

Below: We were watching a pair of Eurasian jays on the sapling field, using the sapling tubes for look-out posts and taking it in turns to hope down to the ground to forage. We had noticed several there last few days, probably a whole family raised this year and using that patch.

An odd head of yellow flowers at the top of one of these posts caught my eye and piqued my interest so I went over to check them out. They look like some kind of centaury but all the centauries in the area went to seed many weeks ago. It seems that this plant accidentally grew in the tube, kept on growing up towards the light, filling the tube with a mass of prickly stems, then emerged from the top. These plants are usually ground hugging so very curious to see them like this and so far out of season. We both (independently) gave it a tug to see if it would come away but nope, it was firmly rooted in there.

This seems to confirm our theory that the design of the tube is dew gathering, providing moisture not normally available to plants in the open. It 'fools' a plant to think it is still growing much earlier in the year, before the dry season has set in and all others of its kind have passed their time.

Fires plague trees as bugs plague capers

Bluish smoke arises from the 'crossroads' area.. where a dirt road leaves central trail towards some ruins in the middle of the woods, and below, piles of ash still glowing and smoking in parts. In both these places large piles of branches had been left and may have caught alight spontanously due to rot and high ambient temps. Some lower tree branches have been damaged by this. Ground fires have also singed many spots alongside valley road, shriveling many leaves on the large corner wattle tree.

Thistle found by the trail from valley road down to north watercourse dirt road. The rather insignicant flower blooms in a head larger than that of the much more common yellow or blue tuft thistles also out now.

Blackbird that lives between sapling field and bridge loop- up on a line at about sunset singing away. Usually it sings low, from a tree stump or similar but today it prefers a higher perch.

Sunday 18th July

gazelle: : 3 passing down from woods betw. owl glade and north watercourse dirt road. They crossed the road, entered pines by service road and then out onto ploughed field where stayed to graze. Adult male following two young individuals.

Hyraxes: seen Shadiker colony on path which continues around the hill a way from north west loop of valley road.

Bee-eaters: flock in eucalyptus stand as yesterday.

Hobby: calls not heard today

Turtle doves: heard in pines betw. valley road and north watercourse dirt road.
Blackbirds: some song heard.

Greenfinches: some calls heard in pines by gazelle field.

Eurasian jays : some calls, activity various places.

.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls

Graceful warblers : calls heard various places around woods, also from garden since dawn both sunday and monday.
Hooded crows: flock headed over lower edge of neighbourhood towards Pisgat Zeev late afternoon.

Jackdaws: some calls
Collared doves: some coos.
Stone curlew: some calls heard


Bulbuls: some calls in garden though not melodious calls in garden nor on monday.
sunbirds: some calls. Also house sparrows, laughing doves, feral pigeons in area as usual.

Flowering now: horsetail polygonum and the low yellow broom as usual. Caper flowers finishing up, growing pods where the caper bugs will let them. Infestation on many bushes again. Yellow thistle and blue tuft thistle season underway. The tiny 5 petalled bright yellow as yet un IDd flower growing near look-out corner.

Wednesday 21st July

gazelle: : 5: 1 adult buck following female by north watercourse not far west from bat cave. Out in the ploughed area, two, another adult buck and other individual. Another was grazing in grassy area between ploughed area and bat cave.

Hyraxes: bark heard from Shadiker colony.

Bee-eaters: calls heard from house and over east watercourse woods several times in the afternoon.

Hobby: calls not heard today

Turtle doves: not noticed today
Blackbirds: 1 betw. pumphouse and bridge- in small grove south end of sapling field.. was singing on line.

Greenfinches: some calls

Eurasian jays : pair foraging near bat cave.

.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls

Graceful warblers : calls heard by valley road about sunset.
Hooded crows: some seen in flight

Jackdaws:not noticed
Collared doves: some coos.
Stone curlew:


Bulbuls: melodious call about 5.15 a.m. again previous days it didn't start up till later.
sunbirds: song in Bauhinia tree near midday last few days.

Also house sparrows, laughing doves, feral pigeons in area as usual. ?


Thursday 22nd July

gazelle: : 3 in view, grazing in the ploughed area beyond the line of almonds towards sunset.

Hyraxes: shrill kestrel like call heard from Pumphouse colony as it was getting dark.

Bee-eaters: calls heard from house and over east watercourse woods several times in the afternoon.

Hobby: high brief almost squeak calls from a couple of locations, one in woods on west slopes of windsurfer hill, another from pines just west of east valley watercourse.. seemed to be communicating with each other.

Turtle doves: not noticed today
Blackbirds: 1 singing high in a eucalyptus by east valley dirt road.. near enough to position of yesterday's bird to possibly be the same male.

Graceful warblers : calls heard by valley road
Hooded crows: some seen in flight

Jackdaws:not noticed
Collared doves: some coos.
Stone curlew: calls from direction of east field, beyond Pistacia orchard about sunset.


Bulbuls: some calls.
sunbirds: song and calls in Bauhinia tree again.

A number of fires, esp by the crossroads and by east watercourse dirt road. In every case it was in piles of pine branch cutting that had been left. We suspect the growing heat in these piles from processes of decomposition combined with the heat of the day and the flammable resins brought about spontaneous combustion. Temps reached 31 degrees early afternoon today as they have throughout the past week.

Saturday 24th July

gazelle: at about 5 p.m. Akiva saw about 8 individuals in open near north watercourse/north gazelle field. First: 2 adult males and female (or well grown young) grazing near bat cave, then a group of females, young tailed by another two individuals. Later after 7 p.m. saw three, apparently females or well grown young, grazing in ploughed area behind almond row or just beyond :

Bee-eaters: group flying and calling over east valley towards edge of neighbourhood, flying roughly north at height of mid neighbourhood buildings, first, group of a dozen or so followed by a few small groups.

Hobby: high brief almost squeak calls from area of cypresses and pine up SW of Pistacia grove.

Turtle doves: not noticed today

Blackbirds: 1 singing on line over sapling field, probably same male as before.

Graceful warblers : calls heard by valley road

Hooded crows: some seen in flight
Tristram's starlings: calls about 5 p.m. from direction of quarry, again after 7 a.m. over east field
Hoopoe: seen flying from bunker rubble area into a eucalyptus near look-out corner.

Jackdaws:some about earlier, as noticed by Akiva.
Collared doves: some coos, flight calls, activity between fields. .
Stone curlew: clear calls shortly after sunset.

Bulbuls,sunbirds, Great tits: some calls.

July second quarter obs, forest thinning well underway.

East watercourse looking roughly south. Dirt road on the left, the white stones of the dry watercourse itself on the right, some sapling tubes visible in background, felled pine and cypress branches on the ground left of dirt road on the left. Below, turning around, view roughly northwards.


Cut pine with resinous sap oozing onto the surface, several ants trapped in the sap.

Monday 5th July, very similar to tuesday but for two species of note: We ascended hill north of north valley watercourse towards hidden watercourse, encountered a pair of hoopoes foraging on the open ground near the top, repeated shrill thin whistle coming from them.

On top of the hill between hidden watercourse and the sage vale were a number of larks, ones I saw looked juvenile rather nondescript in markings though belly looked darkish, had a bit of a crest - in good voice, standing on rocks, calling a few repeated melodious notes with hint of trill, could be were were seeing a family that had bred in that area. ( Crested larks, Galerida cristata only larks I know of in area. )


Tuesday 6th July

gazelle: Tuesday: At least 5 north gazelle field on ploughed area, first seen females, one with young, spread out, grazing and a little later adult male seen wandering into centre of area

Bee-eaters: Flock of about 30 over lower edge of neighbourhood as we headed out. Down near cistern (probably) another flock of at least two dozen wheeled around over eucalyptus and Pistacia orchard and then continued to hunt over east field.
Turtle doves: heard, coos, in pines by central trail, also seen on line over central woods.
Hobbies: call heard by Akiva

Blackbirds: some song

Eurasian jays : some individuals about woods and gazelle field, individuals foraging on ground, using sapling tubes.

Bulbuls: calls heard shortly after 5 a.m. in garden
.

Greenfinches: some calls and twitters various places esp around bunker, cistern area.
Syrian woodpeckers: some calls, quite active lately.

Graceful warblers : active and vocal various places, forepart gazelle field, other.

Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley here and there.
Jackdaws: calls, some about.
Collared doves: active esp. around gazelle field, coos, flight call heard.
laughing doves : street and gardens, coos
House sparrows : garden, street, Feral pigeons: flying to/from neighbourhood, about roofs.
though little attention paid to these today.

Wednesday 7th July

gazelle: : 7 today At least 5 north gazelle field on ploughed area, 2 more with short thin horns on slopes of windsurfer hill, heading up to the open slopes.
hyraxes: some chittering barking sounds heard by valley road.

Bee-eaters: Flock of about 30 over neighbourhood and valley as we headed out, quite high and calling. Calls heard from the house.
Turtle doves: heard?
Hoopoes: 1 perched in pine by central trail.
Blackbirds: some song

Eurasian jays : brief sightings

Bulbuls: calls heard shortly after 5 a.m. in garden again, calls and activity by valley road.
.

Greenfinches: some calls and twitters pines around gazelle field.
Syrian woodpeckers: some calls.

Graceful warblers : some calls.
Great tits: some calls.

Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley here and there.
Jackdaws: calls, some about.
Collared doves: some sightings around gazelle field
laughing doves : seen briefly street and gardens
House sparrows : quietly vocal in gardens

Sunday 11 July

gazelle: : none today but at least three yesterday in gazelle fields by the large almond, making their way to the forest.
hyraxes: some alarm calls up on slopes, pumphouse colony

Bee-eaters: Flock heard early morning last few days, also from the house, late afternoon today.
Turtle doves: heard .
Blackbirds: some song

Greenfinches: some calls around look out corner, euc grove and bunker area.

Eurasian jays : calls and sightings

Bulbuls: calls heard shortly after 5 a.m. in garden last few days.
.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls, also heard from the house a few times early morning last few days, in our garden our neighbours'

Graceful warblers : some calls by valley road.
Great tits: some calls .

Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley to roost
Jackdaws: calls, some about.
Collared doves: some coos, flight calls, some activity seen
Stone curlew: calls heard in evening after dark a few times last few days


Monday 12 July

gazelle: : at least 8 grazing on ploughed part of field beyond almond tree line. What's growing there, apart from some rest harrow and perhaps a little grass? Must check.
hyraxes: some alarm calls

fox: on trail beyond cistern, out in the open, very dark sides on this one, first seen in a while. I was scanning that area for hoopoes and found the fox. Husband did see hoopoe earlier over forepart of gazelle field heading into pines to west.

Bee-eaters: Flock over east valley flying 'downstream', about 30 birds, calling.

Turtle doves: not heard today.
Blackbirds: some high pitched calls and activity, centre east woods

Greenfinches: twittering and calls eucalyptus grove near cistern.

Eurasian jays : calls and sightings

Bulbuls: heard 5.10 a.m. in garden , also active on valley road
.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls, activity

Graceful warblers : some calls by valley road and various places around woods.
Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley to roost

Jackdaws: calls, some about.
Collared doves: coos, flight calls, some seen
Stone curlew: call heard by Akiva about sunset

Tuesday 13th July

gazelle: : One buck by north watercourse roughly opposite bat cave, following another, apparently female. Another at least three grazing out in the open north field by foot of twin pylons
hyraxes: seen on rocks, Shadiker colony

Bee-eaters: flock active just past cistern, in open next to pine grove, hunting low
Hobby: heard a few times around bat cave cypresses, one seen wheeling around over there.

Turtle doves: not heard today.
Blackbirds: chuck chuk alarm call but no song.

Greenfinches: twittering and calls eucalyptuses behind look-out corner.

Eurasian jays : calls and much activity throughout woods and open fields

Bulbuls: heard shortly after 5.10 a.m. in garden, also active and vocal there late afternoon.
.

Syrian woodpeckers: calls, activity esp around look-out corner area

Graceful warblers : calls heard various places around woods.
Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley

Jackdaws: calls on and off through day since dawn
Collared doves: coos, flight calls, some seen
Stone curlew: some calls heard after dark lately

Park keepers have been continuing thinning of woods esp. by east watercourse, more cypresses and some eucalyptuses felled. At the same time evidence that they are taking care of the saplings esp. on the slope between valley road north bend and north watercourse dirt road.

Recently encounters seen between jays and hoopoe, and a blackbird and a hoopoe - in each case the first bird seemed to be trying to chase the hoopoe out of its territory.. perceived competition for ground forage.

Wedneday 14th July

gazelle: : No luck today at all but did look over the ploughed area to see what they could be eating. There was a very little grass, a LOT of restharrow- (Ononis) probably nutritious assuming the gazelle can deal with the spines at the eastern end, some desert mullein, Inula, with yellow thistle and thorny burnet at the western end

Bee-eaters: flock active over look out corner area, at least 24, weaving about just above canopy level and below.

Hobby: at least two active around the shaft area, over the trees nearby.

Turtle doves: not heard today.
Blackbirds: chuck chuk alarm call but no song.

Greenfinches: some twittering and calls young pines near service road

Eurasian jays : calls and activity throughout woods and open fields

Bulbuls: heard shortly after 5.10 a.m. in garden, also active and vocal there late afternoon as yesterday, also thursday morning.
.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls

Graceful warblers : calls heard various places around woods, in more places than usual, foraging on and about the felled trees. .
Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley and foraging on the open fields

Jackdaws: some calls
Collared doves: some coos and seen about.
Stone curlew: some calls heard from direction of Pistacia grove

Thursday 15th July

gazelle: : 3 on ploughed area of north gazelle, another, looked like well grown female, running out of Pistacia orchard towards cypresses and pines to south east.

Bee-eaters: calls heard, hunting east of cistern, other side of pines there.

Hobby: calls heard from trees between shaft and owl glade again, one seen in flight there.

Turtle doves: not heard today.
Blackbirds: some song from woods by east watercourse just north of sapling field.

Greenfinches: some twittering and calls various pines and eucs by look-out corner

Eurasian jays : activity throughout woods and open fields, some calls

Bulbuls: heard shortly after 5.10 a.m. in garden, also active and vocal there late afternoon again.
.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls, actviity

Graceful warblers : calls heard various places around woods, also from garden or next door's garden late afternoon.
Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley and foraging on the ground

Jackdaws: some calls
Collared doves: some coos, flight calls esp. lowest parts of woods.
Stone curlew: calls heard

feral pigeons: in flight towards and about neighbourhood a few times this week . House sparrow activity in garden heard lately though much muted since breeding season.

gazelle: : 3 on ploughed area of north gazelle, another, looked like well grown female, running out of Pistacia orchard towards cypresses and pines to south east.

Bee-eaters: calls heard, hunting east of cistern, other side of pines there.

Hobby: calls heard from trees between shaft and owl glade again, one seen in flight there.

Turtle doves: not heard today.
Blackbirds: some song from woods by east watercourse just north of sapling field.

Greenfinches: some twittering and calls various pines and eucs by look-out corner

Eurasian jays : activity throughout woods and open fields, some calls

Bulbuls: heard shortly after 5.10 a.m. in garden, also active and vocal there late afternoon again.
.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls, actviity

Graceful warblers : calls heard various places around woods, also from garden or next door's garden late afternoon.
Hooded crows: individuals about flying over valley and foraging on the ground

Jackdaws: some calls
Collared doves: some coos, flight calls esp. lowest parts of woods.
Stone curlew: calls heard

feral pigeons: in flight towards and about neighbourhood a few times this week . House sparrow activity in garden heard lately though much muted since breeding season.


Saturday 17th July

gazelle: : 5 on ploughed area of north gazelle field, no adult males seen. Another two on northern slopes of windsurfer hill, female and well grown young.

Hyraxes: bark call at about 10.30 p.m. from Shadiker colony


Bee-eaters: flock in eucalyptuses at edge of lower east field, flying in and out. Husband noticed one had wing damage/feather loss on one side.. not symmetrical as would expect with moulting. Hobby attack attempt?

Hobby: calls heard from direction of shaft.

Turtle doves: heard near cistern today!
Blackbirds: some song near bridge, from bird on a stump.

Greenfinches: some twittering and calls around bunker ruins, euc grove

Eurasian jays : activity throughout woods and open fields, some calls

Bulbuls: some calls in garden
sunbirds: many calls from garden early afternoon.
.

Syrian woodpeckers: some calls, two flew out of eucs where bee-eater flock were, headed towards Pistacia grove.

Graceful warblers : calls heard various places around woods, also from garden or next door's garden again.
Hooded crows: individuals about

Jackdaws: some calls, flock of about 150 heading low over mid north slopes windsurfer hill not long before sunset, flying from Hizmeh to woods.
Collared doves: some coos, activity esp around gazelle field.
Stone curlew: some calls heard