Recent pic of slender cypress by valley road. You might want to compare this to a similar pic at the beginning of this blog to see how much or little has changed. That one was taken a few months earlier in that year.Period till 16th August
Gazelle: occasional. On Monday 16th adult male seen up on slopes immediate east of east valley dirt road.
Hyrax n some spotted by valley road, boulders just down from cypress slum. Also activity on slopes by pumphouse. Also some activity just down from school, a relatively inactive colony but still occupied it seems unless these are just wanderers from cypress slum.
Bee-eaters regularly heard from house on and off between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. and again 6 p.m till sunset.
Bulbuls now starting between 5.30 a.m. and 5.45 a.m.
Sunbirds: occasional song/subsong from Bauhinia, also alarms from a cape honeysuckle on road behind/up from us, heard through enclosed back porch
House sparrows and Laughing doves, still cooing, about house and gardens as usual
Hooded crows and jackdaws about as usual heard. Jays heard and seen various parts of the forest.
Syrian woodpecker calls
Collared doves about, active but not cooing so much. Turtle doves, keeping low profile.
Blackbirds not singing lately but alarm calls occasionally heard
Graceful warblers quite active and heard from garden or nearby esp. around dawn.
Hobbies, heard several times esp. bat cave area and wood around service road.
Patch of woods by central trail cut down as is also patch by service road. Bald area not visible from valley road.
Afternoon temps between 30- 36 degrees C. humidity between about 35 % and 80%
Period till 25th August.
Gazelle: occasional. On Wednesday 25th one on ploughed area beyond almond line around sunset, couldn't see horns. Adult male seen a couple of days ago.
Hyrax : adults active on boulders by valley road. Later, high pitch chittering alarm call heard repeatedly as a group of 5 feral dogs approached colony.
Bee-eaters : Not heard or seen over these days.
Bulbuls : quiet now, just one seen calling melodiously by Akiva one day.
Sunbirds: regular song/subsong from Bauhinia through early afternoon, also alarms from there and from a cape honeysuckle by entrance at various times.
House sparrows and Laughing doves quieter
Hooded crows and jackdaws about as usual heard. Jays heard and seen various parts of the forest. That still the same
Syrian woodpecker some calls
Collared doves about, active but not cooing so much. .
Blackbirds not singing lately but alarm calls occasionally heard
Graceful warblers quite active and heard from garden or nearby esp. around dawn and by valley road and near look out corner.
Hobbies, heard several times esp. bat cave area and wood around service road.
Storks are known to be migrating south now, passing just east of here but no luck. Just after sunset heard hoarse calls, first took to be those of fox, but then 8 birds flying together came into view. They were flying north to south, and turned east towards Dead Sea. Large water birds, black and white, could not see extended neck, calls higher and hoarser than the honks of cranes, light was already considerably dimming and hard to see but pelicans I think. First time I've seen those over the patch! They would or could not alight on the Dead Sea itself but could make use of brackish and freshwater marsh next to it.
29th August:
Hyrax : adults on boulders by valley road, just sitting there looking at us until we take even a fraction of a step in their direction, in which case they scamper off down. At a distance we see them crossing the road ahead of us
Bee-eaters : Not heard or seen over these days.
Bulbuls : some calls heard from gardens on the street
Sunbirds: regular song/subsong from 10 a.m. and onwards, over hottest time of day.
Laughing doves quiet coos many times today. House sparrows quieter than usual. Hooded crows and jackdaws about as usual, large flock just off south west slopes of windsurfer hill. . Jays active various parts of the forest.
Syrian woodpecker some calls
Collared doves about, active, not cooing but usually seen flying between trees when something spooks them.
Blackbirds some alarm calls heard
Graceful warblers still quite active and vocal about street, gardens
Chukars, stone curlews and various others keeping a low profile. One falcon in flight very recently over bat cave area, grey back, quite large, might have been a peregrine but didn't get a good view of details.
Centre of forest around 'crossroads' by centre trail looks like a sad bald wasteland, so many trees cut but hopefully there will be more planting early the coming spring, and it will also be interesting to see the succession of natural vegetation there in coming months.
