about 5.30 p.m. heading down valley road.. we noticed a strange bird flying into 'linnet tree' ( Ailanthus outside SE property on Shadiker) .. then flew down to pines.. soon found after scanning pines.. about quarter way down.. adult male GOLDEN ORIOLE beautiful breeding condition, obligingly sat there for a few mins allowing photos though somewhat distant, bird identifiable in zoom (Avi estimated about 300 pixels worth) There he is! Better through binos, could see dark about the eye quite clearly.
5th May
saw Turkish meadow brown (Maniola telmessia) the other day, I think still also lots of marbled whites and smaller Pierid whites, didn't get closer look at them
... today.. nice walk near north watercourse.. quite a few buck gazelle plus a hoopoe foraging on the ground by some young eucs, red back shrike in the young pines, chukar partridge on boulder out in the open, Prinias calling alarm at a hooded crow probably after its fledgelings on the bank near ramp up to neighbourhood, call of European cuckoo near look out corner/by central trail, young great spotted cuckoo flying between pine tops near valley road, cooing collared and turtle doves, swifts, over high rise flats where they prob also added their dwellings on upper outer walls, twittering greenfinches in the larger eucs that seemed to be joining in with music from a car radio and some picnickers, Syrian woodpecker calls, jays , blackbird song.. the forest was pretty much hopping!
7th May
north watercourse : vegetation particularly wild carrot, Asteriscus with hoverflies, dried oats, some red everlasting opening petals, Syrian thistle fading, Verbascum beginning to bloom in some places, cat thyme germander blooming as were capers.
hobby heard in woods, kestrel also higher, chukars heard.
8th May
Sdei Trumot.. 1 little egret, several largish plain grey terrapins pulled out on the banks in the sun (mid 30s degrees C) , several spur winged plovers on opposite bank, collared doves around.. several pied kingfishers about, hover and diving watched. Nest activity not noticed in the few mins I was there.. 1 hoopoe flew over.. around were also graceful warblers. Hirundines noticed by Argaman.
now by roadside in Beit Shean and lower Gilboa.. globe thistle blooming (on my patch just small budding heads) still hollyhocks, giant fennel gone to seed and wilting,
At Argaman photographed male sparrow which looked different from house sparrows in Jerusalem.. on viewing pics resembled ''Italian sparrow'' which is hybrid of Spanish and House sparrows.
temps up and down, 30s one day, cool, rainy, even stormy the next, oscillating, unstable.
16 th May
10 buck gazelle by north watercourse, some sparring behaviour, plus a few more in other places including three sets of mother plus kid born this spring, hurray! Some nursing observed near east watercourse and kid literally bouncing after the mom to keep up.. too cute!
plus: pair of great spotted cuckoos, cooing collared and turtle doves, pair of hobbies, call of Tristram's starling up the hill to the west, various fledgelings, singing greenfinches, calls of Prinias, syrian woodpeckers, Eurasian jays, great tits & warring jackdaws and hoodies over the pumping station, and bee-eaters down near the cistern. Pomegranates and broom in bloom.
locust in the willow tree, another one appeared a day later.. both Anacridium aegyptium, second had yellow stripe on top, first did not and was slightly larger.
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