September, around Rosh Hashanah

Sunbird singing in Bauhinia outside my window. Lack of sharpness due to the mosquito screen between. This can just be made out in the lightest patches. Pic doesn't do justice to iridescence. Emerald feathers on neck stood almost on end on neck as the bird sang. ~10% enhancement of brightness and contrast to counteract the artificial gloom caused by tree shade.. thus bringing the pic close to brightness perceived by human eye.

It's Tuesday 7th September
Quiet time of year.. time for a quick catch up of the past week. Late summer is a very quiet season. We've been listening out for masked shrike but not a


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

13th September

Shrikes heard from east valley dirt road on the 11th- at least two individuals, one towards the Pistacia orchard, at least one from across the watercourse in an open sapling planted area between the watercourse and pines. Akiva also saw a few (masked shrikes) in a brushy area near the central bus station on the 12th, mid afternoon .

Sunbird: in the last few days the sunbird has been getting earlier and earlier.. moving his start back to around 9 a.m. then between 8 and 9 and today rather abruptly some alarm squeaks and hardly any song at all.

I seem to be missing some of recent records, accidental deletion of material between 7th and 13th but there was not a great deal in it.. (great tit call, syrian woodpeckers, jackdaws, laughing doves, bulbul, house sparrow, jays, hooded crows, feral pigeons, ) much was repetition apart from the mention of some kind of waterfowl flying over cistern area and heading east shortly after sunset. Seems they came from north or north west. Deep grating quack like sounds, some kind of duck but not malllard. Gadwall, garganey and pochard are common passage migrants this time of year. No detail seen, in silhouette above in poor light and quite quick flying.. vocalising as they went, as a group but little attempt at a V.

young adult male gazelle crossed east valley road ahead of us near Pistacia orchard on 11th.