Second Half February

16th Feb

Flowers seen in bloom in valley for first time today: the small purple vetch (Vicia palaestina), the pale off-white vetch, the six flowered clover/pea family plant , a small headed short member of Apiaceae.

kestrels heard, hyraxes active, a couple of gazelle east field, blackbird song, laughing doves coo, great tits and sunbirds vocal and active


brief attack of some raptor of a hoopoe between cistern tree and pine grove, didn't get any details of raptor as hoopoe drew our eyes but likely was one of the sparrowhawks.

20th Feb 

 Above: first orchid of season.. on north facing slope by Shadiker.

above, a legume blooming by east watercourse dirt road

 legume blooming by central trail.

flowers noticed blooming for the first time this season today,  two Ophrys orchids: green orchid, Ophrys lutea, on long trail down from end of Shadiker to north watercourse and Carmel - in flat area near north watercourse and, also in that area, grape hyacinth.. earliest I've seen one.

Also sparrowhawks, call of a kingfisher, staccato call, prob a white breasted but couldn't be sure, didn't get a look but Akiva confirmed it was one he heard near edge of neighbourhood a few days ago. great tit song, Prinias, calls of Tristram's starlings, blackbird, hoodies, jackdaws, Eurasian jay, chaffinches.

21st Feb

several gazelle about.. couple of instances of male following female.. head stretched forward, following, first female would trot away, just wanted to graze, male continued. Second instance, north slopes windsurfer hill male running at speed after the female.

chaffinches heard in pines quite regularly last few days, stone curlews pretty regularly heard in the evenings now,  laughing doves cooing in garden, jackdaw calls, jays foraging in low part of east field, hoodies there too, apparently took large morsel, large millipede? or perhaps a mole cricket , was hard to tell. saw jay with it on pine branch, usual technique, used foot. Blackbirds also heard regularly around sunset, various calls, song some days in last week, Prinia, 

23rd Feb

starling flock towards sunset , couple of hundred birds..  white wagtails using trees on Elias. 

24th Feb

morning not long after dawn:  chiffchaff singing, nearby garden.  laughing dove coos, sunbird activity, bulbul calls, jackdaw calls.

26th Feb

 chamomile daisies out now by valley road,  first campanula out in forest, more Ophrys lutea about, pair of great spotted cuckoos  heard and then seen in the lowest little pine wood by gazelle field. blackbird song, great tits, chukar partridges out in the field.

27th Feb

Sdei Trumot:  Several spur winged plovers on the opposite side of the pool,  at least two pied kingfishers about flying low, perching in tree, hovering high, vocalizing.  A white breasted kingfisher spotted perched on a wire beyond other side.. away from the water.  Several swallows hawking over the service station. little egret edge of water other side.  Hoopoe calling repeatedly in trees on service station side.    graceful warblers about, calling, great tit song and calls. Collared dove coos.
Sunbird calling repeatedly around dawn in garden.
Nadal arsi seen at Malkishua in lobby of building.

28th Feb

The mini irises first seen blooming in east field, lower north windsurfer hill