11 July > 21st July

Monday 11 July

Cicadas last few days even up till sunset , heard in cypress and Pistacias but not located, well camouflaged. Temps to low and mid 30s C peak time of day.

Gazelle: 9 in east field.. 6 between small olive grove and windsurfer north slopes, another three between olive groves and trees, lower part.

graceful warblers very vocal lately, Eurasian jays about, short sharp calls of hobbies in tree tops and brief glimpses.,

strange call in garden tree.. sounded like slow soft but carrying trill.. as if a bulbul were imitating a turtle dove . Sunbird calls. Laughing doves, house sparrows,

Tuesday 12th July

Several gazelle seen in various places about the woods, 1 over on path near cistern, alone, not adult male,
Hyrax active and vocal

Hoopoe, jay, turtle dove calls, stone curlew, blackbirds active and vocal but not singing, short low contact notes, graceful warbler and bulbuls around garden. Graceful warbler calls approach to look out corner.

Shabbat 16th July

Several Gazelle seen almost every day esp in east field, usual places. Today three down near fence foot NE windsurfer slopes.
Hyrax activity by street

Graceful warbler, at least two in our garden and adjoining garden active lately. Bee-eaters late afternoon heard from house. In woods Syrian woodpecker, wheatear on a sapling tube in Pistacia orchard.. another a few days ago same area. stone curlew heard.. Eurasian jays more in evidence lately.

Bulbul and sunbird calls also garden, house sparrows, laughing doves.

Sunday 17th July

6 gazelle in total, hyraxes, hoopoe, hobbies, stone curlews, much greenfinch activity between eucalyptuses of look out corner and the bunker pines, Syrian woodpecker calls and glimpses, blackbirds spotted though not singing, occasional relatively soft alarms. Turtle dove and collared dove coos, hooded crows.

Bulbul and sunbird in the garden.

Monday 18th July

8 gazelle grazing in favourite place south east of east field, down near fence and foot of slope. Great tit calls heard, Syrian woodpecker calls, some stone curlew calls as it got dark, sounds like collared dove and turtle dove coos mostly abated now but replaced by numerous insects.. cicadas of low pitch end of afternoon, various crickets as the day darkened. Hoopoe by road near pumping station, flew off to tree in sapling field.

Laughing dove coos, melodious bulbul calls, Prinia calls and occasional sunbird calls in the morning. Forgot to mention a few days ago a couple of lizards noticed amongst fence pieces by patio.

Wednesday 20th July

Hoopoes, at least two around hoopoe corner, usual other birds in woods, blackbirds, stone curlews, (from direction north fields) , great tit scolds, graceful warblers, syrian woodpeckers. As most days this week, cicadas buzzing at various pitches, pitch lower towards sunset.. temps in low 30s early afternoon but humidity down to about 25% at hottest time of day climbing up to about 50% at night

Thursday 21 th July

10 gazelle grazing around windsurfer mountain, on high north west slopes and low down by foot of north east slopes including adult buck who I observed on hill trail up from us repeatedly rubbing his horns against stones or bush or ground, hard to tell. . Also including two in the forest just south of central trail, female and young. Could have been twelve if we didn't count two twice. There were two running to and fro on mid west slopes, apparently chasing each other, fast, almost like play, not significant horns, we didn't know if these joined the others on the north slopes or not.

Quite a bit of hyrax activity by valley road, some juveniles out, adults of various ages.

Syrian woodpecker calls, blackbird alarm, great tit alarms, glimpses of raptors, probably hobbies but very quick views, could also have been sparrowhawk. stone curlew calls. Some collared dove cooing in pines by north gazelle field. Some greenfinch twitters, lark (?)calls in east field. Didn't see for confirmation, may have been wheatears. Akiva heard bee-eaters from house mid afternoon. I heard ring neck parakeets shortly after dawn when I went out to feed the chickens.

Street: laughing doves cooing on roof edges,

July 1st-9th

Garden gets regular spraying and interestingly the kind of vegetation we get there we don't necessarily see in the valley. Most of it is goosefoot but recently this , above, began to bloom. I appealed to facebook friends for I.D. and one of them, Kyron Hanson positively I.D. it as common purslane, also known as pigweed. Portulaca oleracea, likely accidentally seeded by birds from other gardens.

Saturday 2nd July

Gazelles: As we came up shepherd's path three ahead of us, subadults from the look, females/young females, and a group of that constitution has been seen in that area a number of times.

Also consistent.. in field just north of small olive grove adult male licking flanks, nearby two females or well grown young grazing nearby in old oats and by thorny burnet. As we were speaking I spooked a fourth gazelle, female with only 1 right horn, she ran towards the other three.

Another 4 grazing over beyond the almond tree row

Birds:
stone curlews quite vocal as dusk came.
greenfinches: some alarm calls
syrian woodpeckers: calls
collared doves: some coos, quite a number of flight calls.
falcon over field just north of windsurfer hill, brown back and wing coverts, not as russet as those of kestrel.

garden: sunbirds, bulbuls, laughing doves, house sparrows.

psittacine calls.. last week we noticed three lovebirds lose end of Shadiker, calling to each other between pines, a fig tree and ailanthus.. we've been hearing them over the last few days up and down the local streets including this morning.

Sunday 3rd July

Gazelle.. buck spooked on way down from valley road north corner and north watercourse dirt road. Later: in east field betw. small olive grove and pines again the buck in company with the four young females including one horn.. I get the impression all young pre breeding immature females which would explain why they're with him and not in the main herd with the longer horned male closer (and around) windsurfer hill.

Lots of hyraxes active in Shadiker colony area including young ones.

Garden: 5.10 a.m. bulbul, a few minutes later, sunbird. Later, laughing doves and house sparrows, former coos and feeding on ground.

valley: greenfinch twitters usual lowest altitude pines.. lots of Syrian woodpecker calls and some sightings. Hoopoe on dirt road north watercourse turn off (favourite place for spotting these) , Graceful warbler calls, stone curlew calls, bee-eaters about above calling. Hooded crows about. Collared dove coos and flight calls, also plenty turtle dove calls today.

globe thistles have the usual blue/green and red beetles as in last season, the bluer and fresher, the more infested, probably enjoying the pollen.

Monday 4th July

Hyraxes by valley road very active, otherwise day pretty quiet in terms of birds, unusually so.

Tuesday 5th July

At least three hoopoes at and around the usual dirt road turn.. I had the impression more.. Turtle dove coos in pines by north valley dirt road, collared dove coos and calls as we approached look out corner area.. brief view of chase, only fraction of second but looked to me like hobby chasing off sparrowhawk.

Several gazelle, 5: 1 adult male close to north watercourse , treed area, two more, females/well grown young on hillslopes north east, two more in woods just south of central trail.

Graceful warbler calls .. in garden again and also up by fence by north gazelle field. Sunbird calls in garden numerous times. Syrian woodpecker calls, greenfinch calls. stone curlew calls north fields/low hill slopes shortly after sunset. No bee-eaters today and crows low profile.

As usual lately calls of geckoes heard on buildings in the evening.

Wednesday 6th July

Following gazelle trails around west and north slopes of windsurfer hill. surprised some chukar partridges and a couple of small groups of gazelle including adult male who later made his way down to his usual grazing area near fence, along with at least six females and well grown young.

Hooded crow harassing raptor, long tail with subterminal dark band like kestrel but seemed a little larger , but not sparrowhawk, which has three bands. Crow repeated attacks, two separate incidents separated by at least fifteen mins.

stone curlew calls after sunset. Syrian woodpecker calls. No bee-eaters today. Plenty hyrax activity by valley raod.

Warm, temps even late afternoon 28 degrees C.

Globe thistle and thyme still flowering though many of former finished, those not are heavy with the red beetles.

Thursday 7th July

On way down from valley road to north watercourse dirt road adult male gazelle grazing on slope as a few days ago, prob same one. Three more gazelle grazing amongst Pistacias, females/well grown young.

Turtle dove coos, some collared dove vocalizations. house sparrow flock edge neighbourhood.

At least two hoopoes in usual area near the rock flats/dirt road turn off. Graceful warblers very vocal. Also near there some nice hobby sightings and vocalizations.. at least two individuals in the area. Syrian woodpeckers also very vocal. Jackdaws and hooded crows also heard and some greenfinch calls. Woodpecker also heard in /near garden at dawn as well as graceful warbler in cape honeysuckle. Sunbird and bulbuls also heard, latter from about 5.10 a.m. , later laughing doves as usual.

Jays, bee-eaters, blackbirds, stone curlews not seen or heard on walk.

As we approached pumping station calls from hillside I thought chukars, Akiva thought hyraxes.. the latter do have some vocalizations very similar to chukars.. habitat for both..

Saturday 9th July

MUCH vocalization of hyraxes on rocks by valley road, 'cypress slum' colony but we couldn't make out what the fuss was all about.. no dogs or cats about , much high pitched shrilling alarm calls, barks and bark snorts from many individuals but they weren't alarmed by us, and a mother was nursing three kits on a rock nearby unpeturbed. Perhaps a ground predator in one of the dens, like a snake?

No gazelles seen in any of the fields though one without horns just south of central trail shortly after sunset.

Sunbird garden, melodious calls, on street: laughing doves, bulbuls, house sparrows, woods, Eurasian jay activity. Also hooded crows, jackdaws, graceful warblers.

Hot today, got to 36 degrees C max, dropped below 30 after 6 p.m , cicadas still going at sunset though later, 10.30 p.m breeze picked up and clouds coming over from west. Easterlies were only for a couple of hours this morning but enough to really pick up the temperatures.

16 - 26th June

Jumping spider on underside of blooming globe thistle. As I circled the globe thistles, (getting lots of histamine inducing pricks from all the blue tuft thistle foliage around it) the spider evaded me by circling away. They have good eyesight! However, since there are two of us it was a simple matter to hand the camera over to Akiva and he wasted no time getting this neat shot!

Thursday 16 June

Early morning garden: sunbird calls in the garden and calls of ring neck parakeet somewhere close in neighbourhood.

Peering through young pines by service road to field beyond, saw a number of bee-eaters skimming low over the grasses, also a hoopoe flew into tree

In the valley far end of Pistacia grove three sub-adult gazelle sproinging in a circle, frisky, taking it in turns to gambol about lightfooted , delightful to watch.

Hyraxes heard chittering up by pumphouse, calls similar in some ways to those of kestrel.
Fox sighting:

Also heard/seen: Graceful warblers, greenfinches, turtle doves, collared doves, Syrian woodpeckers, jackdaws, hooded crows, bulbul (calling loop /bridge area)

As night falls I hear a gecko not far off outside our window, as many evenings and nights lately.
No more luck with lampyrids since those found.

Saturday 18 th June

10 gazelle, all in east field.. adult male joined females in oat field near small olive grove, seemed to be almost herding them, nudged one that was low on the ground, made her get up and move on, then moved to another to move, in direction of windsurfer hill. Was he anxious about our proximity perhaps?

Graceful warbler lots of calls, greenfinches usual area, some Syrian woodpecker calls, jackdaws, hooded crows, bulbuls, bee-eaters,

hyraxes, some chukar like calls.

Sunday 19th June

4 gazelle in east field, adult male, indiv. with just one thin right horn and other female. Another nearby.

Several graceful warbler calls, greenfinches usual place, several hoopoes. Stone curlew calls direction of hidden watercourse, hobby in flight.

fox sighting.
Monday 20th June

8 gazelle : mainly eastern field.. two groups, one near fence usual area, other between olive grove and N/S dirt road. One male over there crossed into field from Pistacia grove, another male, limping, down in east watercourse pines down from valley road not far from sapling field, limping.

hyrax: 1 going into den up from pumphouse.. no other activity noted.

Bee-eaters: several low over north field or twice canopy level.. at least a dozen prob more.

hoopoes: several about east end of north watercourse dirt road and squatting on dust near cistern.

greenfinches singing in usual pine area, turtle dove coos in pines by north watercourse, collared doves, syrian woodpecker call, stone curlews, hooded crows, graceful warbler calls, jay calls

Tuesday 21st June

Graceful warbler calling repeatedly in cape honeysuckle about midday.
Walk: gazelles 4: adult male and another individual on skyline up on NE slope windsurfer hill. Another no visible horns in dry oat field betw small olive grove and cypresses. 4th edge field /dry area north of almond row.

collared doves active, no turtle dove coos today, some blackbird song, plenty syrian woodpecker calls, jay activity, bee-eaters active and vocal over both valleys, greenfinches calls and song in the usual areas.

Wednesday 22nd June

Gazelle: 8 east field windsurfer north slopes 4 indivs, females and well grown young running round to west slopes.. adult male big horns by thorny burnet near fence. On way up to east field three in cypresses, adult male slightly smaller horns with the one horn gazelle and another. 8th gazelle was at edge of young pines and north gazelle field, a female or well grown young.

Hobbies: cypresses by rock flats, at least one, very vocal, flew up and around, also one seen over north watercourse east end, same?

Hoopoes again near rock flats, north watercourse dirt road turn off.. at least two. Also Syrian woodpecker calls, blackbirds, great tits, collared and turtle dove coos, Jays incl. juveniles, jackdaws, hooded crows. In garden: house sparrows, bulbuls, sunbirds. Feral pigeons about as usual. No bee-eaters today, or swifts.. latter soon to leave.

Thursday 23rd June

Gazelle: adult male 'loser' moving from cistern area by Pistacias towards east field.
Hyraxes: a few of Shadiker colony and pumphouse colony active
fox: north watercourse, heading up opposite slope.

Hoopoes: at least two usual place beginning turn of north watercourse dirt road, flying from burnt area to pines and one taking dust bath on dirt road.

Syrian woodpecker calls, hobbies aloft, active, turtle doves and collared doves cooing, , graceful warblers calling, and also active around rock flats, some greenfinch calls in area, bee-eater calls, great tit calls.

garden: laughing doves coos, bulbul melodious calls, house sparrows.

Saturday 25th June

9 gazelle, mainly east field, bulbuls, stone curlews, hooded crows, hoopoes, Syrian woodpeckers, hobbies, greenfinches, jays.

Sunday 26th June

Gazelle briefly spotted up on windsurfer hill near top. Hyrax on wall of garden, back of buildings, top of bank, reaching up against fence to nibble tree leaves (fruit trees).. as we approached it ran surprisingly fast along wall towards tree on bank side, probably it's access to wall. Fox spotted at bridge just past pumphouse, jumped down into water channel under the bridge, (dry now of course)

Wind blowing briskly from west, coolish with that.. peak today just under 28 degrees C.
Great tit calls, Syrian woodpecker calls, brief hobby sighting, stone curlew calls from north fields and hillside, hooded crows about, Blackbird alarm, brief turtle dove coos, collared doves about. Bee-eaters heard just before we left the house .. at about 7 p.m. bulbuls.

9th -15th June

Pistacia orchard looking nice and green while the ground level dries out.

The 'Blue tuft' thistle started to bloom on the 14th, this was near the turn off of the north watercourse dirt road.

9th June

Peak temp. 30 degrees C, definitely a rise on recent temps

8+ gazelle incl. 3 adult males: 1 male crossed north dirt road from woods to watercourse, Another from pine grove by eucs into east field (where later seen by thorny burnet clump licking his flank and grazing.. they may lick flanks to cool themselves?) , then female seen in woods as we ascended onto lower windsurfer slopes through the wooded area past Pistacia grove.. then at least five including an adult male grazing near top of windsurfer.
hoopoes, At least four in area of young pine grove esp around the bare burnt central area and past there to the rock flats (where little oak and cistern pit) on way to look-out corner.

Tristram's starling, I heard one call to north when we were on north dirt road, direction of hidden watercourse... Akiva heard another when we were in east field, from somewhere to north or north west of us.

stone curlew: some calls from direction of north field,

bee-eater: at least one about, calling, flying over us beginning of valley road,

nightjar: flew over lower part of east field, quite low from woods where we saw the female gazelle/ collared dove corner area , flew to almonds or olive in the small grove.

turtle doves: cooing in many places. Some collared doves about also. (laughing doves in garden as usual)
Eurasian jays: calls, individuals seen various places through the woods.

Syrian woodpecker calls, greenfinch calls and twitters around look-out corner, brief call sounded like ring necked parakeet from trees around east watercourse,

Gardens: house sparrows, bulbuls fledgelings.

Sat 11 June

Lots of hyraxes active by valley road. A few gazelle grazing high up on windsurfer hill. A fox ran up from east watercourse dirt road, up treed slopes. We looked for him when we got to top of shepherd's trail but didn't pick up sight of him again.

2 hoopoes dustbathing on dirt road, circle near cistern. Syrian woodpeckers. Bee-eater heard, 1 seen. Stone curlew calls up north of north gazelle field.
Collared dove flight calls and some activity, laughing doves on street, house sparrows. Hooded crows many places about valley as usual. Hobby aloft high over Pistacia grove soon.
before dusk. blackbird song, great tit calls, some graceful warbler calls.

Sun 12 June

House sparrows started up in garden about 5 a.m. still dark.

Hoopoe by rock flats again, heading into pines.. hobby calling, 2 circling high in flight earlier, Graceful warbler calls, greenfinches, turtle doves,

Lots of hyraxes including young by Shadiker colony rocks, 3 adult male gazelle grazing around north watercourse.. another in lower east field, couldn't see what , already light dimming by then. Stone curlew calls north field, 16 bee-eaters as we headed down..

Mon 13th June

Weather a little cooler, breezier, moist air, clouds blowing in from west, long thunder roll.
House sparrows, laughing doves, bulbuls in garden including fledgelings wing fluttering at dawn in Bauhinia, quite well grown but still asking for food.
Flock just over half dozen bee-eaters, flying about over valleys, calling, brief stone curlew calls,
Hobby calls and seen aloft, Jays about, young jay heard calling for food, graceful warbler calls, greenfinch calls around bunker area as usual, lots of Syrian woodpecker calls.

Gazelle: north watercourse a couple bachelors, another young adult male in woods near central trail, another couple ran up hill near batcave, spooked by some boys training on hillside, Lots of hyraxes, one climbing half way up acacia near pumping station, descended as we approached, lots by Shadiker including little ones,

Main flower in bloom visible now is globe thistle. Polygonum also blooming fresh, wild carrot finishing, blue tuft thistle foliage up but not blooming yet.

Tuesday 14th June

clear day today, mild, low 20s, humidity about 60% in the late afternoon

Gazelle: 3 in view grazing near fence east field nr foot of steeper windsurfer hill north slope.
Hyraxes: chittering calls near pumphouse

bee-eater calls, hoopoe over north gazelle field, headed into pines. Much twittering of greenfinches in a number of pines, some blackbird song, syrian woodpecker calls, great tit calls, turtle dove coos, collared dove coos. (garden coos of laughing doves and feral pigeons) , hobbies glimpsed.

(swifts and stone curlews quiet today)

Wednesday 15th June

clear skies, mild temps.. 28 degrees C earlier dropped to lower 20s later afternoon.

bee-eaters , flock about 18 hawking over edge of neighbourhood. Collared doves coos and display flight. Graceful warblers.

repeated sounds of ''hhan.......... hhan .......... hhan'' from down in pines , then spotted adult male gazelle , noticed when he made that noise, uplifted head and whole body momentarily stiff. Then he moved on with distinct tail wiggle, also acts as signal.

Vipers bugloss and fennel also in bloom

June 1st > 8th

Above 'on', below, front view and 'off'. Same individual . I love these shots! Nice job Akiva!

Wednesday June 1st

Weather late afternoon mild/cool, breezy

Gazelle: 1 male ran across path north watercourse dirt road..

Then two more, prob also bachelors, emerged from north watercourse to graze on banks..

A 4th gazelle buck seen running through Pistacia grove

2 more, (female and well grown young?) moving uphill treed slopes windsurfer away from east watercourse dirt road

birds: turtle dove coos, collared dove coos, greenfinch chaws eucs by bunker rubble, Syrian woodpecker calls, hooded crows.. tall cypresses north of way to look out corner, rattling croak call from two close quarters.. territorial or between mates? Other calls

golden thistle blooming in north watercourse

Thursday June 2nd

Gazelle: upper NW slopes windsurfer, four gazelle loosely grazing together, appeared to be two groups of two, mother and well grown young. foot of slope near security fence flatter area.. three more , male and two with much less pronounced horns. Same story in field between smaller olive grove and cypresses. 10 in all

Hyraxes: by valley road

Birds: turtle doves cooing, two on line over east valley, farther along, two collared doves.. also still active cooing.
(laughing doves continue in the garden and yesterday middle of the day a feral pigeon was cooing quite emphatically from a window sill)

Delighted when Akiva spotted a wheatear in the sapling field. Good chance they are still breeding there despite all the foliage changes! Was a female or perhaps an immature, hard to tell, was quite dapper. Probably a black eared wheatear.

Look out corner greenfinches as usual, occasional call of Syrian woodpeckers, calls of stone curlews, Akiva spotted two in flight beyond ploughed area, on stony patch but when landed, invisible to both of us. Akiva also thought he glimpsed a hoopoe flying over at about almond line into pine grove. Likely he did. Hobby heard. Hoodies about as usual.

Saturday 4th June

Gazelle: Several seen grazing east field near fence betw. small olive grove and slopes, treed slope windsurfer up from east watercourse dirt road.. a female. sub adult betw olive grove and trees.. Akiva affirmed ten total in that area

Hyrax: numerous active along valley road, quite a few youngsters out and lively.

Birds: Most interesting, two nightjars flew over foot main north windsurfer hill slope, one a few seconds after the other but in line, headed into woods up from east watercourse.

wheatear call from somewhere in east field but no good views of the bird.

Otherwise: jackdaws, hooded crows, great tit fledgelings? greenfinches, much stone curlew vocalization north of gazelle field, stony area but didn't see. Syrian woodpecker calls. No bee-eaters again. Collared doves cooing esp in usual sw corner of east field but no turtle doves today.

(cooler, breezier than usual for this time of year lately, peak about 28 degrees C). mainly north/northwesterlies but for easterlies a few hours in the morning. Humidity, 30 , when easterlies of course, to 85% later in the afternoon.

Sunday 5 June

Hobby over nr. Bat cave. 2 bachelor gazelle betw north watercourse and trees just nw of bat cave. A third buck gazelle in young pine grove by service road.

Much singing of ground, ground fire around north watercourse and around bat cave area but still good patches of grazing even there.

Couple hoopoes seen separately, one by Akiva, one by me, first was in the pine grove mentioned above, second over gazelle field. Turtle dove coos, some collared dove coos, swift calls over valley road area between sunset and dusk. Blackbird song. Much greenfinch chawing and twittering around bunker area. Akiva glimpsed Eurasian jay. No woodpeckers, Prinias, wheatears or other regulars today.

Around buildings: house sparrows, bulbuls, laughing doves, hooded crows and jackdaws.. latter two also throughout the valleys.

Found two female larviform glowing lampyrids ('glow worms') on our walk.. one in grasses on bank .. we had found another a few days before but not had camera, so have carried ever since. On our way back into neighbourhood found another one by foot of steps up to our street on a chunk of conglomerate.. I carried it home on this and Akiva got a couple of pics above.. taken in salon in relatively low ambient light. Soon after she switched off. I released her in the garden.

Monday: 6 June

House sparrows, bulbuls, hooded crows: in woods, singing blackbirds, some graceful warbler calls, some great tit fledgeling calls, Eurasian jays making fuss near Pistacia grove, stone curlew calls north gazelle fields area,

Gazelle: 2 north eastern slopes windsurfer near fence, female & well grown young, later, adult male ran out of cover of cypresses we were approaching, headed out into field between small olive grove and us.. a short while later a fourth gazelle in Pistacia grove. As we approached the cistern, fox spotted headed into the Pistacias, lean, mainly greyish, tint of reddish, tail straight out behind.. then stopped to gaze at us as did the buck gazelle. Foxes usually do this.. they trot or walk to distance they consider safe, then stare at us.

Wednesday 8th June

Circled windsurfer hill clockwise from our side.. near top one of dirt roads watched male black eared wheatear (melanoleuca race, or was it a pied? dang don't remember if the back was black.. so used to seeing black eared hadn't occurred to me to check that obvious detail but only had good view against foliage for fraction of a second- shows importance of getting such details esp with this family ) in song, perched on boulders, every few minutes changing his location to cover more of his territory.

Male gazelle sighted near saddle watercourse where we descended.. another glimpsed.. snorts heard.

Akiva found another 'glow worm' which he attempted to photograph but she turned off before he got a good shot. That also placed in the garden. Hopefully they might breed there given flighted visiting males!

May 2nd Half

above: Broom, in bloom here and there not far from east watercourse.

Beetle on pomegranate leaf.. many were flying about the tree near cistern between sunset and dusk, as well as lacewings (further down the page). Below, this species of ladybird (or ladybug but of course really a beetle) seems the most prevalent right now. Its larvae also found on milfoil, thistle and some other plants. (Black aphids also quite common now on fennel and various composites)

Below, mating robber flies on thorny burnet. I realised these seeding composites by the burnet are actually fleabane.. they're everywhere.. given the small size of the flower itself the seedheads are unexpectedly spreading. Caper bugs about, many nymphs seen but still plenty healthy capers.

30th May

Much earlier vegetation starting to dry out now, grasses turning yellow, most thistles and fleabane going to seed and we're picking up 'caterpillar burs' and nasty sainfoin seedpods on our walks, but other vegetation just getting green, such as mullein and Varthemia sprouting up fresh everywhere. First blooming thyme noticed today! The thistle which has small blue tuft blooms has come up everywhere but not bloomed as yet. Caper vegetation esp along valley road.. we noticed blooms more at night than day. Wild carrot is everywhere, Polygonum has put forth fresh green, fleabane making surprisingly spreading seedheads and a large purple late thistle noticed, not milk thistle. Hawthorns produced more fruit than last year (which was none) but far from their best. Pomegranates in full bloom now. Horehound and Ballota now in bloom. Thorny burnet berries mostly brown.

Birds: Prinias very active and vocal, hobbies about , calling esp. round sunset. Blackbirds in song then too. Some stone curlew calls. Hooded crows as active as usual and jackdaw calls on and off through the day when their flocks are active. Collared doves less now, intermittant, more muted. Turtle dove coos sometimes heard. Greenfinches twittering and chawing around bunker rubble area but seem somewhat fewer than previous years.
Around the buildings: house sparrows, bulbuls, sunbirds, laughing doves, feral pigeons and several times a week noisy calls of ring neck parakeets heard.. they fly from forest to/around neighbourhood and back, favouring the eucalyptus by east watercourse. Syrian woodpeckers today heard around north watercourse. In last week various young birds heard calling for food, some of them sounded like young great spotted cuckoos but didn't get sightings. Bee-eaters heard a few times, but not in notable numbers, the odd large brown job passing through, stopping by to roost overnight (honey buzzards?) , occasional Tristram starling calls, chukar partridges spotted on rocks around the area .

Plenty gazelle grazing activity noticed lately.. up to at least a dozen gazelle active in east field and windsurfer hill slopes, various bachelors still seen between north watercourse and hidden watercourse. Hyraxes active in the usual colonies and some young seen. Hedgehog heard on our walk the other night, snuffling in vegetation close to valley road. Occasional fox sightings in various places but no more cubs spotted.

Insects: see above. .Bath white butterfly spotted yesterday, various small blues and Satyrids but not good close views. More grasshoppers, the one with lateral broad stripes and crimson underwing. More black millipedes. Cicadas heard at the zoo last week but not up here yet. Crickets at night.

More gecko activity on building walls at night heard. No agamas seen yet. Correction.. Akiva saw agama in small park near central bus station early afternoon yesterday. I

This blog is four years old now! Wow so much discovered in these few years, more than we realized could be here since we arrived in north Jerusalem about 18 years ago..I feel like I only actually LIVED the last four from a natural history point of view.

31st May

Yesterday evening, 30th May we spotted 'glow worm' (really a beetle) on rock not far from valley road, low bank.. it was dark and no camera for pic.. but looked like she was arcing front part of her body up and backwards.. the last three segments of abdomen glowing steady light green.

Another hedgehog making its way through milk thistle, didn't see, just heard.

Spookiest thing, this evening (31st) after 10.30 7 (or 6, we were so astonished we both totally forgot to count) appeared to be large white birds appeared over east valley, about twice canopy height and together silently flew over us, slightly fluttering (against wind) somewhat up and over the neighbourhood, looked ghostly white reflecting all ambient light, quite large .. only thing that remotely fit were egrets but not quite like them either and at such a late hour. Couldn't make out head shape but broad wings. Entire owl family? Never saw so many owls flying together and only thing that would look so light would be barn owls which I don't think are here.

Italian Anchusa in bloom on upper valley road (from edge neighbourhood to below pool), also broom near east watercourse(above, top)

Today's afternoon walk (31st May) .. Hooded crow with great spotted cuckoo juvenile on electic cable post, crow hopped right over the cuckoo which was calling incessantly.. ignoring it. As we approached to take a pic the cuckoo flew into some nearby pines but crow remained. Singing blackbirds various places east valley, Prinias, jackdaws, Syrian woodpeckers.

May: First half

The white sage discovered in the ploughed field area behind the almond row.. now overgrown with oats, golden thistle and an assortment of other vegetation. Above, close up, below, whole plant. A number of these in a patch there, not noticed in previous years.

Grasshopper nymph on Kickxia.. lots of these about now by roadside and plenty little yellow blooms on the Kickxia.

Firebug on fleabane. Fleabane pretty much past its prime now, gone to seed. Below, a related firebug on fresh mullein foliage. This is the one near the pumping station, already has a flower as of yesterday.

Wednesday 4 May

Hiked up to the quarry. Tristram's starlings whistling all about, settling on rocks around quarry Akiva saw for sure 6 individuals at once and had impression from all the calls that there were more about.

Chukar partridges also around quarry environs and lip of quarry itself, we didn't count how many. Akiva had impression their backs are paler and greyer than those back around east watercourse, that the latter were browner. The grey would certainly give them more camouflage in this open stony environment. He also thought the hyraxes looked paler and greyer too though the ones we saw were the more mature individuals which tend to be more blonde and shaggy than younger breeding individuals and young.

Buteo over the valley, had terminal tail bar though thin, much banding but no noticeable dark shoulder areas. Hobbies not noticed yesterday though have been seen and heard this month.

An unfamiliar lark noticed on approach to quarry, had shorter crest than crested lark and hardly any striation, body tending to rufous buff. salmon coloured legs , not sure about bill, also salmon I think.

Swifts about, jays in woods, singing blackbirds, great tit fledgelings heard within 100 feet of bunker rubble, greenfinches twittering in that region, collared doves active and heard and on some days also turtle doves,

Gazelles: Saw two adult bucks by north watercourse with one much younger buck , same party of three I suspect we saw a couple of weeks ago. Are these those two males we used to see frequently around north watercourse in vicinity of bat cave, the younger male having attached itself to them, mini bachelor herd?
Gazelle snorts also heard lately from time to time. Gazelles noticed lately tend to have been grazing dispersed over any of the fields, not herding so much.

Saturday 7 May male and female blackcap foraging for food in scrubby/eucalyptus area between saplings and pumping station. Another blackcap pair in trees half way along from there to cistern, as well as family of great tits and one pipit like striated job perched and quite still half way up tree, striated on breast, back with stripes about eye and white fleck on shoulder.

Other birds similar to sunday.

Sunday 7 May
Bee-eaters at least two groups, largest about three dozen .. as yesterday favouring eucs by look out corner as settling place, they had not used those in previous years. , swallows, big brown jobs, Buteos? Several about, passing through, swallows zipping through two small groups

8 male gazelle grazing between bat cave and north watercourse, walking about, two practice sparring,

then saw fox moving from bat cave, followed north of north watercourse east betw. rock shelf and thorny burnets, then headed across watercourse into young pine grove by service road, stopped by wall, appeared to have caught something, sat by there for a while on haunches then headed off towards north gazelle field

Also greenfinches, collared doves, turtle doves, blackbirds but not singing, masked shrike heard in a number of places, one seen in pine near where north watercourse dirt road angles towards central trail. Syrian woodpeckers.

Masked shrike also seen late last week and others heard.

Lots of marbled whites about, counted at least 8 settled out of wind in a patch of thistles and mustard by north trail,

Now in morning in garden bulbuls and sunbirds starting up about 5.40 a.m. laughing doves also. House sparrows earlier . bulbuls also like hunting around the tamarisk over the storm drain.

16 May Monday

Hidden watercourse area , fox family working upstream near acacias far side, vixen with two , Akiva believes three cubs , she was relatively dark but cubs much paler, quite well grown. Another fox around a bit of a distance away.. the dog? Managed to get glimpses of young ones .

Also about: plenty hyraxes including fairly well grown young Shadiker colony very active at dusk as we came up, some barks heard. Also gazelle, at least 5 adult bucks butterfly area before you get to hidden watercourse, amongst the cypresses.

Increasing foliage of goldilocks, thyme, caper, polygonum, mullein, Kickxia.. this is the time their greenery really fills out while the milk and Syrian go to seed and wither back.. but for the summer thistles.. the blue tuft thistle which is also coming into green. Yesterday got a number of shots of various arthropods on this foliage.. always worth checking out the various flower heads for insect life. Wild carrot is also flowering everywhere now and still some milfoil here and there.

Yesterday it had rained earlier in the day . . in the relatively low flat area east field near the fence , between the small olive grove and north hill slopes, amongst pale yellow sea of dried oats 8or 9 gazelle behaving friskily, running, chasing, leaping.. two (juvenile males) in mock spar, another one from grazing group rushed at one of the combatants, chase ensued to and fro.. more chases as we watched.. seemed they all just wanted to be playful and were running about just for the sheer joy and exercise, amazing speed and nimbleness.

Birds now: graceful warblers noisy and active, much purring of turtle doves, occasional calls of greater spotted cuckoo youngsters calling as hoodies forage for them and wait on them, masked shrike in the Pistacia grove yesterday just after sunset, jackdaws, blackbirds, Syrian woodpeckers esp in eucs by Pistacias, chukar partridge up by hidden watercourse today, larks heard in that area and also east field yesterday but no sightings or definite calls of black eared wheatears this season yet, surprising.

Quite a few Buteos (or other big brown jobs, likely honey buzzards) passing through lately wanting to roost but the hoodies harass them when they see them. Yesterday another much smaller raptor joined in the harassment but didn't get a good view of what it was.

Two new species of white sage like flower found lately.. one bushy and branching with basal leaves with more elaborate lipped flowers growing in the ploughed field area behind almond row (head of page) found a week or so ago, and this one, below, foliage and flower, growing by rocks . I have seen neither in previous seasons but too easy to overlook white flowers.