Here, there and everywhere

European kingfisher Alcedo atthis , by the beach near Hadera on the Mediterreanean coast. We have also seen these on a rocky pier in Tel Aviv and in both cases the birds didn't seem to mind that plenty people were using the beach nearby. The salt water doesn't seem to do the plumage any favours, in the Tel Aviv birds too I noticed a significant darkening of wing colour from their normal iridescent turquoise. Many years ago I noticed this kind of kingfisher perched by a rock pool at Southerndown beach in south Wales in early December but I remember that bird's plumage looking normal. Could be it had not immersed as much as these birds or that the pollution in eastern Mediterranean water has this effect.

Cattle egrets, Bubulcus ibis, are quite common in many grassy areas throughout the country. They have occasionally visited our patch and here several were strolling around the fields, not far from where husband and the kids pitched camp. A great place for camping if you like the wilds, no amenities whatsoever but free! Even nicer, I remember from last time, the earth was mostly sand which is very comfortable to sleep upon.

Below, the egrets take flight: As with most of the herons you see the head is pulled back, the neck in an S shape, in contrast to storks and cranes which hold their heads forward on a straight neck. (Akiva reported seeing a white stork in the Beat Shean area, just south of the Sea of Galilee. At this time of year! )

S= sunday, M=monday, T = tuesday

Sunday: 4.31 a.m. a laughing dove started up cooing but probably because of disturbances outside, woke up. They coo at a drop of a hat. Today several pairs were feeding at crumb corner late afternoon. M, T : heard many times in the garden
White spectacled bulbul started up with melodious calls today at 5.39 a.m. M,T: similar. Sunbirds and, much farther off, hooded crows started up at about 5.48 a.m. M: loose flock heading home to south not long before sunset. Sunbird later heard, male, subsong and foraging actively in the Bauhinia outside my window early afternoon. M,T: many squeaky alarm calls heard, and sunbird glimpsed foraging in the Bauhinia


Today (sunday) husband and the younger kids went to the beach, Mediterranean coast around 'Hadera area. Akiva e mailed me that they had seen a small flock of ring necked parakeets, some egrets ( probably cattle egrets), seen European kingfisher (above) and also heard and saw stone curlew.

Fruit bats also seen near the beach.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_fruit_bat Rousettus aegyptiacus

Afternoon walk here: great tit calls, some greenfinch alarm calls in the rubble pines, some twitters but otherwise quiet. M: did not hear these. T: greenfinch twittering in bunker pines
Collared doves very much in evidence in that area between bunker rubble and cistern, flying about the field, between trees and some down by cistern, joined by turtle doves. Hoopoe noticed dust bathing on the path just east and beyond the cistern.

T: collared doves cooing. Chukar partridges also heard just south of the pumping station.

Graceful warblers very vocal sunday and monday, watched a whole family on the move in scrub on the bank below the north curve of valley road. Calls also tuesday.

Hobby calling somewhere in the pines just north of central trail. T: calls heard somewhere south of pumping house shortly after sunset.

Bee-eaters S: heard on and off through the day. Tuesday: Flock on the other side of the eucalyptus grove, several dozen but impossible to count on the other side of the trees.. settling on the branches, then taking off and hawking over the north end of east field.

A few Jackdaw calls somewhere and raucous screeches of Eurasian jays somewhere in the pines. Syrian woodpeckers heard numerous times, also monday and tuesday.

Salmon Arab butterfly noticed by bunker rubble.

Hyrax barks also heard sunday and monday, latter at pumphouse colony. Some activity also at Shadiker colony on monday. Heard also on tuesday.

On Monday: At Park HaYarden just north of the Sea of Galilee Akiva reported that the family saw bee-eaters, ring necked parakeets, kingfishers, egrets, hooded crows and insect eating bats but they were much too busy having other fun to take more observations!

Monday's weather back here in Jerusalem: Range: 19.5-28.5 degrees C. ( 67.1- 83.3 degrees F) , humidity range ~50% in the heat of the day to ~95% at night, winds, westerly, veering north in the heat of the day, and later blowing in small cumulus.

Brief weekend round up

Another summer east field view, this one through part of the eucalyptus grove toward the olive and almond grove and Hizmeh.

Thurs: 6 Aug - Sat: 8th

Gazelle: No luck thursday, today, see below.

Hyrax: T activity and barks at Shadiker colony, some of them sound a lot like the chucks of chukars.

Reptiles: Gecko near the house small hours of the morning. S: active early morning Shadiker colony

Tristram's grackles were the bird of the day. T A pair by the quarry, left the abandonned building as we arrived, flew to a male flew to a rock nearby and whistled 3 tone call several times.. the female (apparently, from grey head) joined him, they flew across the quarry to wall across, flew around, came back.. visited the inside of the building several times while we were there. We didn't hear calls from inside the building but wonder if they have a nest in there, a late brood based on their movements. S: early morning whistle heard from bipass road area.

Bee-eaters: T Calls around dawn, also a group of at least 15 flying over north valley to and fro, hawking.
Turtle doves: Seen visiting cistern to drink. They fly to the edge, then down to the rocky island within.

Blackbirds: T alarm tzit and chak heard from trees up from north valley dirt road. S: early, brief song heard by hus.

Collared doves: T Coos and seen here and there S: several drinking at cistern, some coos.

Eurasian Jays: T Active here and there between trees. S: calls and glimpsed

Feral pigeons: T On top of and flying between buildings.S: flying about

Graceful warblers: T Some calls.S: calls in various places

Hooded crows: T A few flying and windsurfing up by A Ram, and foraging on the ground there. F,S calls

House sparrows: T Flocks active foraging near Shadiker hyrax colony, flying between there and some dense garden trees on Shadiker. S. about as usual, quieter in the garden, breeders joined flocks.

Laughing doves: T Garden from about 5.30 a.m. on. F: cooing early, S: cooing and about street

Sunbirds: T, F, S some alarm calls from the garden. : alarm calls in the garden

Syrian woodpeckers: T, S: calls from the trees

White spectacled Bulbuls: T Amusing this morning: one started up very enthusiastically at 5.20 a.m. right outside my window as if to say 'you've been telling the world I've been sleeping in a bit more everyday, eh? well get an earful of this!' Also heard before dawn on friday and saturday.

Husband also heard chukar early this (saturday) morning and at that time glimpsed a gazelle without noticeable horns near the top of the shepherd trail, lower slopes of windsurfer hill. Jackdaws also about.
More wasps and flies evident lately. Crickets and cicadas heard, bats about.

Weather: Today: Range: 19- 29 degrees C ( 66.2- 84.2 degrees F), wind mainly westerly, backing more sw in the morning and early afternoon, veering more nw and picking up later afternoon and evening. Humidity: minimum ~40% early afternoon, ~95% peaks small hours of the night last night and now.

Yet another thistle, wasp engineering

Today I noticed yet another thistle species beginning to bloom that I had not noticed before. This was found by the east valley dirt road and so far only one plant of that kind. The blue tuft thistle and dry looking yellow thistle continue to bloom in many places. Above, close up of florets, below, whole top of the plant.

Below, seeds of Ailanthus, tree of heaven, a prolific tree found all over the neighbourhood and also planted in the sapling field and another older tree growing well at the edge of the east valley watercourse there.

This is another potter wasp creation discovered by Moshe low down against our garden wall. Very interesting are the additions of cement to the structure. The wasp is long practiced in forming nesting cells from earth but adding a man made building material .. accident or design? Anyone else heard of them using cement? The blobs look much more like accretions than a spill.

4 gazelle seen today. Two without any obvious horns grazing separately though not far apart on the north face of windsurfer hill just about the point the hill starts to rise more steeply towards its summit. As we watched them two more strolled over from the east, apparently a mother and young, the young following. They appeared to completely ignore the two others, making their way steadily around the hillside, stopping to graze every few paces.

Hyrax, one seen a few feet up on a cypress branch, reaching forward and down along the branch to nibble at the tenderest shoots apparently, also the alarm squeals heard from the pumphouse colony as we came down the snake path this evening at ~10.30 p.m. We don't usually go up there on our evening walk but I wanted to take some bottles to a collection point for recycling and to photograph the Ailanthus near there.

Laughing doves, bulbuls and house sparrows heard from the garden, sunbird also about I think. In the woods, collared doves much in evidence as well as jays and Syrian woodpeckers, husband glimpsed a hoopoe flying into the pine grove just east of the cistern, raising its crest on landing then continuing on its way, and I heard a clear Tristram's grackle whistle coming from the bipass road, a stretch favoured by them as it resembles a natural gorge.

Loose jackdaw flock calling and heading south over and along the bipass road, some hooded crows also, higher and behind them. Husband heard a stone curlew about sunset but I missed that call. No bee-eaters on this walk but I did hear them at dawn from the house.

Temp. range today: 22-31 degrees C. (71.6 - 87.8 degrees F) , winds mostly W or NW all day, humidity from 30% about noon to ~90 % late evening, as is fairly typical these days. Humidity at night often 90-100% through part of the night now.

Hyraxes and hungry owls.

Today Ruthie Schueler joined us for our walk. Perhaps you remember the name from previous entries? This is the very same Ruthie who has kindly allowed me to use a number of her bird pics in this blog and today joined us to photograph some of the local hyraxes and to experience some of the delights of these forests and hillsides with us. Ruthie is a naturalist from Switzerland originally and our conversation turned to the marmots there and how they compare with hyraxes, and of the alpine choughs and my son's experience of them.

(She also told me of a webcam in Switzerland she's been watching of a kestrel's nest and how the parents brought mice, small birds and lizards for the young, and once brought a live mouse. The youngsters stared at it for at least 15 minutes, not sure what to do, till the largest one took action and dealt with it. It sounds cruel but falcons have to eat too! )

These below are taken by her with a ( ) with 400 ml lens and were just down from valley road a little past cypress slum area. The hyraxes are so used to people here that they allowed quite a close approach which definitely delighted Ruthie. A little later we heard a range of alarm barks and screeches for her further interest. Aren't these gorgeous?




A little later Ruthie taught me something new. I love that! We turned at the pumping station, over the bridge and around north towards the Pistacio orchard and cistern area. At the orchard we took a trail towards east field to see if any gazelle were over there or on the lower slopes of windsurfer hill when we heard a high pitched to me unfamiliar call coming from the pines and cypress just uphill and south of the orchard. Ruthie recognized these as the calls of young owls for food, probably long eared owls (Asio otus) which are found in these woods all around.

Over a hundred crows were up on the upper western slopes of windsurfer hill, most of them jackdaws, the rest hooded crows. They boiled up and settled a few times as we watched. We had a brief glimpse of a hobby and heard some calls, heard a flock of bee-eaters way over in the direction of Adam, caught sight of some but too far too count, over gazelle field.

Collared doves were active, many glimpsed in flight between trees, some coos and flight calls. Turtle doves quiet apart from one coo I thought I heard from valley road. From there also we saw and heard bulbuls on the bank, heard graceful warblers a number of times from various places in the woods,.. seems they have dispersed from the valley road area as their calls are in many places now.. summer dispersal of juveniles no doubt. Great tits also called a few times from the pines not far from the road and some Feral pigeons flew overhead.
Chukar partridges heard from the east valley dirt trail somewhere, numerous Syrian woodpecker calls, a Tristram's grackle call Akiva picked out but I missed. Blackbird chak chak alarms and Eurasian jays also heard in the woods.

Ruthie told me autumn migration has *already started*, various warblers have been netted at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory for ringing including Olive tree warblers, olivaceous warblers and a *European robin*, this early! It's outrageous! Robins are normally winter visitors here.

On the way back it was getting quite dark and an almost full moon was rising over Hizmeh. We heard a Stone curlew call from the direction of the bat cave. Ruthie was clearly familiar with the woodpeckers, doves, bee-eaters, (and young owls) and others, but apparently this was a new call for her and always a delight for me to be able to share that.

Evening walk: ~10.30 p.m. glimpse of a fox in the area we saw the hyraxes.. no doubt he hoped to catch a youngster, well, good luck with that, the colony is organized and always on its guard.

Weather warm today though didn't top 30 degrees C, (86 degrees F) pretty much like yesterday, winds roughly westerly though only 4-8 knots. humidity ~60%

Wasp and thistle season.

A low lying thistle blooming now, its flower little more than a scraggly tuft of blue, easy to miss since the plant itself is a scrubby mass barely a foot high. Many of these were found alongside the north valley dirt track side by side with the dry looking yellow flowering thistle, the only two thistles in bloom right now as far as I've seen. All the rest are in seed. I noticed they also look a lot like the green Eryngium out now, just as the blue Eryngium looked a lot like the centaury out at the same time. Perhaps the Eryngium gets some degree of protection by looking like a more prickly and possibly less palatable plant?

Of course boys had played 'kerplunk' at the large cistern and now there is an island of rocks and boulders in the middle. Moshe jumped down onto the island to get this pic of a thirsty oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis - ) ~3 cm. These were visiting the cistern frequently to sip the rancid water but are so fast moving that Moshe had to be patient to get a good shot. They have a nasty sting but only when provoked. You don't bother them and they won't bother you, my philosophy with wasps generally.

Below, this wasp was too preoccupied with the inside of this caper pod to notice Moshe sneaking up on it. I think it's Vespula germanica based on the triangular markings on the abdomen, those of the common wasp are shaped differently. This is one of the commonest wasps here and I need to check the markings of those that visit the house to see if those are V. germanica or vulgaris. Moshe found another potter wasp creation just outside the front porch which we will probably post tomorrow.

Below: an owl feather (probably) Moshe found under the pines by the north valley dirt trail. Unfortunately I lost it on the way back but I think it was no more than 8 or 9 cm.

Birds were again not so obvious today. Bulbuls started up at about 5.30 a.m. , sunbirds not long after. A sunbird was also seen zipping across the north valley dirtroad between watercourse acacia area and pines between the short cut down and the shaft. More about that later.

What else was about? A very nice flock of bee-eaters flying high to and fro over north valley and gazelle field for aerial insects, Nice though brief sighting of flying falcon, I think a hobby but didn't get a really good look.. flew over the bat cave and behind the cypress over there.. collared doves cooing a little and a family foraging on the ground where the north valley dirt road curves towards central trail, graceful warblers calling somewhere by south end of gazelle field, Flocks of house sparrows foraging near the shadiker hyrax colony as before and also in the rubble area but greenfinches quiet or gone. Jays calling nasal harsh calls and glimpsed foraging on the ground under the pines and between trees, Syrian woodpecker calls. Flock of a few score jackdaws flying southish over the bipass road and hooded crows about. Feral pigeons on tops of buildings and laughing doves foraging on the sidewalks, crumb corner and cooing in gardens as usual.

Gecko heard after dark from buildings.

You may be wondering what the heck the shaft is. It's a very deep metal lined hole (i.e. large pipe in the ground) nearly a metre across, by the north valley dirt trail, about due south of the bat cave. We brought it to the attention of the city council for safety reasons because it was possible for one strong teenager or two younger ones to remove the lid and endanger themselves. Since then someone riveted and welded the lid shut but there is still a tiny hole in the middle through which Moshe loves to drop small stones and listen to them fall. We never hear them hit the bottom but they ping with increasing resonance on the walls of the shaft making some rather neat funky sound effects and suggesting the hole bends or curves at some point. Shining a light down there revealed only darkness.

Today's range: 20.5-30 degrees C . (68.9 - 86 degrees F)

Time of walk: not sure when we set out actually, some time between 6.30 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. ~25.5 degrees C ( 77.9 degrees F) and falling.

Humidity: ~70% and rising, wind: westerly 11-14 kt

August hillsides

A view from the top of windsurfer hill looking north eastish. The settlement of Adam is on the distant hilltop ahead, Hizmeh over on the hilltop to the right, part of Mir Forest down to the left, the small olive and almond grove dead centre, Ramallah bypass road winds northward from the right with the security road and fences parallel and just below dividing political zones.

In the foreground, limestone rocks, thorny burnet, thyme, mullein and other hill vegetation.

An adult variegated caper bug on a small caper leaf. Most of the caper bushes have shed their leaves now, both leaves and stems damaged by the bugs and on a few there were some bugs remaining, such as this individual above.

As we walked down valley road we noticed the hoodies were windsurfing so we decided to go straight up the hill after the bridge by the pumping station to see if we could get close enough to get some shots that really conveyed this behaviour. There was also a flock of jackdaws foraging on the hillside, taking to the air now and again and generally getting in the way. Jackdaws plus hooded crows amounted to well over a hundred individuals, not the place to be if Alfred Hitchcock's movie freaked you out but not really any threat. We did observe some nice windsurfing by the hoodies.. for some reason jackdaws aren't interested in the sport. The crows also seemed to indulge in mock aerial duels, diving at each other or perhaps just showing off. A falcon flew through the milling flocks and not a one bothered to harass it, partly because they knew they had no chance and also because they did not compete directly. A falcon cut right in front of us as we were about to head down so I saw it quite close.. looked more like a peregrine than a hobby but only saw for fraction of a second unfortunately.

We took a route around the south side of windsurfer hill, a shallow saddle between the hill peak and Pisgat Ze'ev villa hill, and followed a trail to the top where we startled a gazelle (no visible horns) which sproinged over the top and out of view. It did a good job of getting away as we were unable to discover it on the other side. There the dirt road down is treacherous, strewn with many tiny stones and steep enough that a slide on those stones can easily land you on your behind! I much prefer to pick my way around the thorny burnet off the track.

Blackbird alarm chakking heard.. also heard by husband early saturday morning but no singing lately at all. Syrian woodpeckers heard.
A sunbird was in full song, however, in the Bauhinia today early afternoon, seemingly the only bird that wants to sing in August, though laughing doves joined in with coos. Feral pigeons on roof tops in the street. White spectacled bulbuls started up today in the garden at about 5.30 a.m., first a more distant bird, then our local joined in. A sunbird was calling minutes later.

Mullein and capers have pretty much finished blooming everywhere now though some thyme cushions are still flowering here and there. The low yellow pea by the roadside, polygonum and the yellow thistle continue to flower enthusiastically though so few of the leaves of that thistle are actually green it's amazing it gets nutrition at all, it looks so dry.

Wasps are on the rise and are appearing more frequently in our houses and the oriental hornet has also been seen lately, a large brown wasp with the last segment or so yellow. Moshe found a ground nest of wasps a week ago.. something important to watch out for because you could easily put your foot in one of those and suddenly have a tornado of angry yellowjackets on your hands, as happened to the boys last year though they got away fast enough not to get stung.
Several species of cricket heard at night, sounding like lost cellphones in the undergrowth, so shrill, mosquitoes still a nuisance, black millipedes still about, ants busy, seen on the march lately,
Geckoes heard and bats spotted.

~6.40 p.m. temp just over 27 degres C. ( 80.6 degrees F)
humidity 45%, wind WNW 7 kt
Today's range: 22-31 degrees C ( 71.6 - 87.8 degrees F)

Week-end round up

Moshe captured this rather dramatic late afternoon shot of eucalyptus bark which had apparently been peeling a lot lately, many strips of bark were found around the base of the tree.

Gazelle: No sightings lately. It does seem that the gazelle are grazing in gazelle field less this year than last. Could this have anything to do with the quality of the almond crop? Effect of the fires even though area was green this year?

Fox: One seen by Shadiker hyrax colony, another in the owl grove, both dark patchy individuals at about dawn this (Saturday) morning, by Akiva

Bee-eaters: Heard the last few mornings, flock of 50 or so late afternoon over east valley.

Hobbies: calls heard sunrise and sunset.

Turtle doves: calls heard late afternoon, first I've heard in days, good to know they're still vocal and active.

Collared doves: seen about the woods, less cooing lately.

Eurasian Jays: Heard raucous calls and glimpsed

Graceful warblers: some calls in various places

Great tits: calls in woods just west of valley road.

Jackdaws: Heard this morning. Greenfinches, blackbirds noticeably quiet lately

Hooded crows: loose flock flying home southward slowly about sunset.

House sparrows: about houses as usual, vocal early morning after 5.30 a.m. Flocks active around Shadiker hyrax colony, foraging on the ground or grouped in cypress trees nearby, flying between there and nearest buildings.

Laughing doves: cooing from early morning.

Stone curlews: Heard early morning today by Akiva

Sunbirds: Squeaking and other calls in the garden last few days.

Syrian woodpeckers: many calls heard in the woods, squabble around eucalyptus grove. I get the impression more than one family group in that area might be having some dispersal and resource problems, temporary overcrowding.

White spectacled Bulbuls: Heard from early morning, melodious calls now starting time about 5.26 , moves gradually later. Other shrill wickering calls heard in afternoon suggest family group, very vocal.

Weather: Today's range: 20-31 degrees, ( 68 -87.8 degrees F)
minimum higher saturday night, 22 and rising ( 71.6 degrees F)
Time of walk: ~6.45 p.m. 28 degrees (82.4 degrees F)
humidity: ~67%, wind westerly 7-11 knots