Fourth week of March

Pea relative, like Ononis, restharrow? photographed on 30th in cleared area middle of east woods


tiny cress like plant, needs I.D. by north watercourse dirt road.

turban buttercup laden with beetles. Now flowerheads are restaurants. This afternoon, latish (31st) watched a nice variety on milk thistle including lots of black aphids being worked by large reddish brown and black ants and several crane flies also came in to dine.

Saturday 24th March spring equinox

Mild/warm and clear in the valley this afternoon, about 20 degrees C. Set off shortly after 5 p.m.

blue pimpernel noticed on trail down from valley road to north watercourse dirt road.

Greenfinches have resumed twittering in the valley, some collared dove coos. Buteo noticed, very dark, dark tail band. Syrian woodpecker call briefly. Great tit scolds but not song. Graceful warblers quite vocal. Jackdaws and hooded crows, activity and calls. Feral pigeon activity. Bulbuls, sunbirds, house sparrows about gardens. didn't note laughing doves but probably about. Jay activity, some calling.

On way back, blackbird alarm calls somewhere in east valley, some brief notes heard. Alarm call seemed to set off a stone curlew. European cuckoo heard in woods dusk.

kestrel calls from tall building near top of our hill, some swifts flying about high above. Hyrax barks heard. No gazelle noticed today but could be shy due to increased human activity in the valley (people taking Shabbat walks)

Sunday 25th March.


Greenfinches twittering and chawing, activity between trees in the lowest, youngest pines. y, some collared dove coos and activity, pairs together. Buteo noticed again, light undersides, fine banding, dark primaries, dark tail band. Syrian woodpecker noticed by Akiva. Great tit calls? by service road, no songscolds; Graceful warblers quite vocal. Jackdaws absent today, brief call? and hooded crows, activity and calls. Feral pigeon activity. Bulbuls, calls many times from first light, gardens and edge of neighbourhood. sunbirds, musical calls garden, briefly hovering right outside window house sparrows about gardens. didn't note laughing doves but probably about. Jay activity, some calling.

On way back, blackbird alarm calls, Akiva heard song earlier.

kestrel noticed eating food on ground on hillside to north. , some swifts flying about high above from edge of neighbourhood to over valley, some screams. Gazelle. group of at least 9 females and well grown young grazing in field by twin pylons, lower hillslopes to north.

Much Eurasian jay activity, some calls. pair of chukar partridges noticed in open lower part of east field.

Thursday 29 March

cool/mild, just over 12 degrees C on walk, partially cloudy

Bulbuls, many calls, gardens and north watercourse area; sunbirds, musical calls garden;, house sparrows about gardens. laughing doves about garden as usual.

Greenfinches some twittering and chawing in the youngest pines; collared dove coos and some activity;. Buteo noticed again about half dozen individuals, one attacked repeatedly by a hoodie over central trail, light undersides, fine banding, dark primaries, dark tail band, upper wings black and brown, no distinct patches, two landing near bat cave followed by repeated anxious sparrowhawk calls; Graceful warblers quite vocal. Jackdaws some calls. hooded crows, activity and calls. Feral pigeon activity, much cooing in in eaves of building at edge of neighbourhood. Jay foraging activity and calls.

On way back, blackbird alarm calls and some song.

kestrel flying over north watercourse from hill to woods. Gazelle not noticed, prob due to more activity of children in valley, probaby had moved up north watercourse valley and/or over to sage vale. some calls of great spotted cuckoo heard somewhere up north valley. Akiva was reasonably sure he heard European cuckoo. Hyrax heard somewhere on the bank after sunset.

stone curlew heard from east fields after 10 p.m.


Friday 30th March

In valley, Prinias calling down in the fields, great spotted cuckoo heard, sparrowhawk heard from direction of bat cave. Usual garden and street birds.

Saturday 31st March

We were listening out for turtle doves but no luck.. either not back yet or had finished cooing. I've noticed in the past they prefer to coo when it's sunny. We did hear some blackbird song and alarm calls, some great tit scolds. Tristram starling whistles, sounded like two of them flying from neighbourhood over towards Hizmeh. Swift screams. Buteo spotted briefly. Hooded crows about as usual.
house sparrows, laughing doves, bulbuls, sunbirds in garden as usual.
Hyrax barks at sunset.

Also noticed blooming: Onobrychis vetch, the dark purple variety, bright yellow Achillea