Second half December

17 December

Dead hyrax with blood on ground found on valley road, probably hit by vehicle.  Another hyrax down from road on boulder, quiet.

blackbird calls late afternoon almost every day this week,  song some days.  Jackdaws heard earlier, hoodies heading home.

garden: house sparrows,  sunbird alarm calls and activity in cape honeysuckle,  bulbul calls some days in last week.  Some laughing dove coos and activity.

thin piping in pine canopies probably chiffchaffs but not confirmed, usually heard when some sun, chaffinch calls yesterday mid pine woods.

gazelle , several in east field in and near small olive grove yesterday, none noticed today.

blooming, lots of white winter crocus, Crocus hymalis, still some of the purple autumn crocus, Colchicum, still Polygonum equisetiforme and Ononis natrax.

19 Dec

Buck gazelle near north watercourse,  kestrel flying over north field, blackbird singing by east watercourse,  Prinia calling near valley road, on way down.  Woods pretty quiet but for various softbills in canopy being elusive.. some medium small passerines flying about,  Akiva caught sight of reddish underparts, he thought blackbird size or a little smaller but poor views or silhouette. About 40s coming back from forage from over hill to north,

22 December

calls of stone curlew just before dawn.. later, hoodies, sparrows, white wagtail, then sunbird in the garden and, as it got lighter, coos of laughing doves and some squawking ring neck parakeets came by. In the woods and fields, Syrian woodpecker calls and activity, blackbird song by east watercourse, graceful warbler trills in the open. Hoodies, jackdaws foraging on the hill

24th December

linnets in 'linnet tree', first positively noticed this season, a quite large Ailanthus end of Shadiker overlooking north watercourse, at least half a dozen, possibly more.  First definite of season seen.. also great tit calls, blackbird by north watercourse in song and calls,  in gardens, much sunbird activity, bulbul calls earlier, Akiva also heard ring neck parakeets  

27th December

lots of chiffchaffs about foraging.. seen in hawthorn by north watercourse and heard all about; sparrowhawk sunset flyover near the shaft, fair size bird, prob female Akiva saw,) , hoodies and jackdaws, small groups of finches but didn't get good view, linnets probably, earlier.. sunbird and laughing dove coos in the garden, house sparrows, feral pigeons about as usual. and loads of white crocuses. Great tits, blackbirds heard calls

29th December 

Sunbird heard singing at lunch time and calling other times of day.. ring neck parakeets came by earlier.. great tit song morning, bulbul calls, on walk several gazelle grazing in east field by small olive grove, graceful warblers vocal and active in several places, stonechat calls near lookout corner, sparrowhawk over east valley, hyrax activity by valley road towards dusk, hoodies as usual, twittering heard north east edge of neighbourhood.. linnet flock somewhere.  Blackbird calls also heard towards dusk. 

31st December 

gazelle: two in Pistacios, one adult male, one apparent sub adult.  East field at least five individuals, females and well grown young.   Continued sunbird activity in cape honeysuckle including some song.  Stone curlews heard before dawn,  blackbird calls.  ring neck parakeet calls.  Usual others... laughing doves, jackdaws, hooded crows. 

November, December first half

 Sodom apple flowers  Calotropis procera

November posts accidentally deleted when clearing out old draughts..  oops! Birds pretty much as expected at this time of year, though low.. hardly any chaffinch sightings and white wagtails down also. Very quiet lately.


 Winter crocus (Crocus hyemalis) first noticed Nov 28,  Autumn crocus (Colchicum hierosolymitanum) from Nov 15th      First Dianthus noticed in ages on the 26th.  Flowers of Sodom apple photographed by Naama on 25th November ( pic above)  A number of ground beetles noticed in the house towards end of November.. Calathus genus or similar.. haven't seen this month yet.

December 5th

Family first which meant limited to no birdwatching opportunity on the Gilboa trip but DID notice goldfinches and chaffinches in open and agricultural areas, stonechats in scrubby wilder land, also Eurasian jays by roadside, kestrels hunting, great white egrets near Beit Shean.. Akiva thinks he saw white storks,  he also noticed a large very dark raptor sitting on fence right by road near checkpoint from valley into Beit Shean area.. probably black kite.  On previous Gilboa trip, two weeks ago, more great white egrets noticed from vehicle and large raptors aloft, probably also kites, but got no chance for good look. So tantalizing, other things seen from car but no chance to stop and have good look.
Shrike like calls heard in bushes both trips but not noticed.  Hyraxes also heard in rocks by road leading up to Malkishua yesterday.  In a woodland part of that road noticed numerous cyclamen already in bloom though we don't expect them in Jerusalem for another few weeks. Also a clump of several Dianthus seen by roadside, as many as I've ever seen together.


December 6th

About half a dozen adult male gazelle grazing in fresh new grass by both north and east watercourses and under pines, as well as female with one (right) horn and three subadults, not in one herd but spread out in twos and threes.

Hyrax barks from direction of valley road colony, blackbird song and alarms, robin alarms, small flock of collared doves on lines and in trees between hoopoe stretch and gazelle field.

December 10th

sunbirds active in the garden last couple of days, alarm calls heard, activity in the cape honeysuckle.  Bulbuls also heard.  Some ring neck parakeets heard in neighbourhood several times over the last week.
Hoodies and jackdaws heard,  blackbird song by east watercourse, settling down calls, some thin calls, prob chiffchaffs. No luck with black redstart or stonechats last week in patch,

December 14th

Absence of white wagtails lately but sunbirds and bulbuls, sparrows and laughing doves active in gardens,  hoodies, feral pigeons, jackdaws about the street and around.  Valley: great tits, graceful warblers and blackbirds heard but all else relatively low profile. Chaffinch calls.

 Google maps link for annotated map of area showing the various watercourses and other locations mentioned in the blog

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=215645277007886261359.0004cf5c1dd4a54114590

October

 

Tuesday 2nd October

First autumn squill found, mid south side of shepherd's trail, small stand

sunbird singing in garden midday hours,  house sparrows, feral pigeons about.

hooded crows, jackdaws about, calls.  Ring neck parakeet early morning visit,  Akiva heard bee-eaters sometime in the afternoon.  In valley, several glimpses and calls of jays, blackbird noticed but quiet.  Some graceful warbler calls.

Gazelle.. three east field betw olives and hill, male chasing female followed by another female. Several down in Pistacia grove area, up to half a dozen, headed over to euc grove and pines east of cistern.


Saturday 27 October 

Has been a quiet month.   Some more squll found by north watercourse dirt road near shaft, north side.. no luck finding autumn hyacinth.. no crocuses yet.. just one day in which intermittant showers, other days dry and a week of unusual warmth mid Oct.. over 30 every day early afternoon

Sunbird song regular in garden,  also calls.  Activity and vocal several places in the valley also

have not heard ring neck parakeets since last record, nor bee-eaters.

hooded crows and jackdaws active as usual, Eurasian jays active in valley.

Graceful warblers regularly active and vocal,  occasionally in or near the garden.

Laughing doves very little cooing in last few weeks, only a few sightings but pair foraging on street today.

White wagtail heard and glimpsed flying over the street last week.  Akiva noticed in town previous week. 

No sightings of stonechats nor black redstart yet.  Chiffchaffs perhaps, some chiffchaff like calls. Did think I'd heard a stonechat a few weeks ago but were a number of masked shrikes about that week and may have heard one of those in the lower east field  

Gazelle: today four subadult gazelle in lower east field.  Hyrax activity recently quite normal by valley road, twilight barks and various other vocalizations. Bat seen this evening over valley road.. fairly regular this month in evenings.

Sept

5th Sept

hyrax nursing young on rock the other day, quite well grown, wondered if she made it deliberately difficult for them because she wanted to wean them

sunbird singing in the garden lately, flocks of finches about, green? Can't tell Syrian woodpeckers and the black capped Eurasian jays vocal and active, a few hoopoe sightings, several gazelle sightings and today several SCORE big brown jobs came drifting over north valley watercourse from the north east late afternoon, coming down into the pines to roost, probably part of the seasonal honey buzzard migration.

6th Sept

at least 12 gazelle in east field and Pistacias.. two groups of six, one in lower , other farther south area, lots of hyrax at the Shadiker colony including young, flock of several dozen honey buzzards sailing over to the south about sunset, jays, syrian woodpeckers, bulbuls and such, and turtle doves, 2 chillin' on the line as usual over most SW pines

stonechats back! at least two calling in east field

19th Sept

Quite a few masked shrike heard calling lately , forest edge land between shaft and look out corner, just calls, no visuals.

Usual birds but relatively quiet, the doves and greenfinches have stopped vocalizing.  Prinias still vocal as are jays and Syrian woodpeckers, some calls of great tits occasional, also occasional blackbird chakchak towards dusk.

chukar heard somewhere out north of north watercourse yesterday.  Lately including today swallows noticed zipping through.

bats noticed lately over valley road, occasional gazelle sightings, today female middle east woods, yesterday buck, female and young grazing in Pistacias which are turning red.  Hyraxes on rocks by roadside.

22nd Sept

Most notable, by NE picnic corner area of valley road, nice view flyover nightjar at dusk.  Apart from that, some activity adult hyraxes both sides of road, blackbird chacking settling down to roost over towards sapling field, hoodies returning to roost.  Earlier, jackdaw and syrian woodpecker calls,  sunbird singing in garden towards midday.

24th Sept

about midday.. couple dozen or more white storks seen circling high over edge neighbourhood about midday. On walk, about a dozen bee-eaters calling flying quite low over neighbourhood late afternoon heading north west, Eurasian jays glimpsed, lark calls, near north watercourse open, blackbird chaks woods down from valley road, bulbul calls from bank, and great tit calls, Syrian woodpecker and brief hobby calls, jackdaws and hoodies

end September... regular sunbird calling in garden.. rainfall on and off on 29th.  Ring neck parakeets visiting garden early mornings lately, lark calls by north watercourse in open,  jackdaw, hoodie calls, jays in woods.

Gecko calling outside window.

August cont'd

Sunday 12 August

lots of hyrax scampering about and vocal today, colony by valley road.. also Shadiker colony has been active lately.. .. hobby call in the cypress by bat cave, Syrian woodpeckers in the eucalyptus, great tits in the Pistacias, bee-eaters about, calls of hoodies, jackdaws, all the doves: feral pigeon, laughing doves about street and gardens, , collared and turtle doves on line in valley, Prinia calls and in the garden, sparrows, sunbirds and bulbuls as usual.

Blue skies. temps upper 20s during walk, peaked at about 32 degrees C earlier, humidity over 60% and rising.

Perseid meteor showers.. Avremi saw one from the garden last night, Akiva saw a bright green one this (sunday) evening

Monday 13 August

watched two kestrels gliding about together over to the east, over bipass road then heading up over Hizmeh, several gazelle including the Pistacia family, (buck, female, young) , at least three more foot north east slopes of windsurfer hill, also a female near north watercourse, lots of hyraxes about by valley road, great tit family foraging in Pistacias, calls of Syrian woodpeckers various parts of woods around look-out, various doves on lines, collared, prob turtle but no cooing, bee-eater calls heard on and off since we left the house, cicadas in the Pistacias, and lots of oriental hornets about. Geckoes also heard around building lately.

Lady living in the street (daughter of Basha Zusman) noticed in old city geckoes on walls facing down watching.. if saw cockroach would run down and bite head.

Saturday 25th August

Relatively quiet today.. Hoodies active as usual, quite a bit of hyrax activity by valley road today and lately. Eurasian jay calls heard but nothing from woodpeckers or bee-eaters. Greenfinches and collared doves also quiet. Some collared dove calls in last week but no turtle doves. Glimpses of sparrowhawks lately including today over east watercourse.

Carline thistle and thin safflower still blooming, some Polygonum near beginning of valley road near fig tree, probably getting effluent. Around there also on banks around and below Shadiker and other places, Inula starting to bloom. Still some shrubby restharrow flowers out and by east watercourse dirt road a late blooming thistle with small lilac blooms and olive green foliage, spiny spear like leaves.

Akiva noticed bird running in open space by road in north, from description, cream coloured courser. They also saw pied and white breasted kingfishers in Park HaYarden area as well as cattle egrets.

Black kite over Malkishua, Gilboa area.

August

The owl found by route 90 on wed 8th, just north of Fatsael

Wed August 1st

peaked at about 35 degrees C mid afternoon, still low 30s time of walk, humidity betw 20,30% most of day. easterlies shortly after noon, otherwise light southerlies, westerlies, north westerlies.

House sparrows -relatively quiet today ; laughing doves -some coos, gardens ; bulbuls- calls edge of neighbourhood, bank area; sunbirds-quiet today; jackdaws-the large flock foraging and on the move over valley, some calls; hooded crows- singles, pairs about but relatively quiet; feral pigeons-roof tops, flying about edge neighbourhood, over valley in small groups; syrian woodpeckers- multiple calls in woods; Eurasian jays-some activity; greenfinches- not noticed; great tits- some calls various places; bee-eaters- calls of hawking groups over; hoopoes-one on north watercourse dirt road near shaft; chukar partridges-none noticed; hobbies-call area of trees by bat cave; collared doves-some coos and on wire; turtle doves-some coos and on wire; graceful warblers-calls heard; Tristram's starlings-none

gazelle- at least 5 females, well grown young, north west slopes of windsurfer, 4 adult males strolling ahead of us on north watercourse dirt road.. when they became aware of us (we were downwind, so most likely by sound) they headed across the watercourse towards pines on other side
hyraxes-active and vocal by valley road.

Thurs 2nd August

A few degrees cooler than yesterday with nice breeze coming from west/north west

House sparrows - calls, street, gardens ; laughing doves -coos and about street ; bulbuls- calls, street, gardens, ; sunbirds- Akiva heard earlier, gardens ; jackdaws- large flock heading from Adam towards windsurfer towards sunset, 150- 200 birds; hooded crows- a few scattered, active vocal, foraging on north hillsides as usual in last few days; feral pigeons- roof tops, flying about over edge neighbourhood as usual; syrian woodpeckers- calls in pines various places in valley; Eurasian jays- some sightings and calls; greenfinches- none noticed ; great tits- calls, Pistacia orchard, other parts of valley; blackbird- none noticed ;bee-eaters- calls a number of times, dawn and late afternoon over valley, over 25 on lines lower north hill slopes; hoopoes-pair on dirt road near cistern; chukar partridges- none; hobbies- none; collared doves- brief view pair in flight? ; turtle doves-coos and pair on line; graceful warblers- calls; Tristram's starlings- none, Masked shrike? , glimpse near where north watercourse dirt road meets central trail. Ring neck parakeets, heard gardens about dawn.

gazelle- at least two females lower north hill slopes up from bat cave, crows on ground all around. 3 in Pistacia orchard, female with two young of different ages.

Friday and Shabbat, August 3rd, 4th

bulbuls and sunbirds heard in garden last couple of days.. spraying on tomatoes has caused a veritable jungle, the rest of the garden full of garden purslane, black nightshade producing a mulititude of berries the hens like, and mostly goosefoot with Ailanthus and another similar tree growing up in a couple of corners. The Bauhinia definitely had a much better year than last year with many beans coming ripe and splitting after dark.
House sparrows, laughing dove coos, feral pigeons about the buildings.

congregations of jackdaws and hoodies on the hillsides both below the little owl road and on the north slopes, foraging in the ground for whatever.. grasshoppers?

The most bee-eaters I've seen this season over and around look out corner area.. scores, not sure how many, Akiva estimated well over 100, I saw fewer, maybe 80 ish.. at one stage they were all flying in a panic from a couple of raptors in the area.. but we didn't get good views of those, too quick.. larger ones, though, broader winged than hobbies.

collared doves cooing, bird on line looked like turtle from distance but didn't hear their coos or see any hoopoes today.. not sure about greenfinches but did hear Prinias and great tits, Syrian woodpeckers, and Eurasian jays active and vocal.

Sunday 5 August

just after 6 p.m. temp about 26 degrees C, humidity ~60% & rising, light north westerlies.

Bee-eaters heard over valley this afternoon and also about dawn from house, lots of sunbird activity today in a variety of places from garden to woods, 2 gazelle, females, grazing north field, hyraxes vocal and active by valley road, collared dove by look out corner, turtle dove was on ground hoopoe stretch, then flew to east watercourse trees, laughing doves garden coos, jackdaws vocal active valley and rooftops, watched one hop down from solar boiler when hoodie wanted that perch, hoodies, syrian woodpeckers calls and active, Eurasian jay sapling field area, Prinias calls, great tit call. Bulbul calls garden from before dawn on and off, house sparrow activity, feral pigeons, small group flying over valley to neighbourhood, all light, might belong to a coop.

Monday 6 August

Most notable sighting today was european goldfinch in top of eucalyptus at look out corner late afternoon.. heard twitterings.. saw one on top, then a short while later saw one farther down, one on top gone.. couldn't know if second bird but they usually travel in small groups of up to 30 so prob more about esp judging by the twittering.
bulbuls active and vocal, as were syrian woodpeckers but heard no Prinias or jays and blackbirds are really keeping a low profile. No raptors either, though, of course, jackdaws and hoodies in evidence, foraging on hillsides, flying over, some calls. Feral pigeons over, house sparrows street and gardens as usual.

great tits foraging in Pistacia, adult male gazelle on hill up from bat cave, Hyrax calls, high pitched chittering from bank by valley road.

Tuesday 7 Aug

Over 32 degrees at peak, still just over 30 on our walk,
four gazelle in various places, onehorn and a kid edge of young pines by service road, another female just up from the bat cave and another mature female up on windsurfer upper SW slopes, Hyrax calling their barky chittery call up on the rocky slopes,

great tits in the Pistacias, calls,bulbuls and sunbirds in the garden, jays and woodpeckers about, grey falcon, probably one of the local hobbies, lots of jackdaws and hoodies as usual, ring neck parakeet heard earlier, bee-eaters about, calling and flying over the valley esp about dawn and again late afternoon.

Again, no Prinias, hoopoes noticed, nor the valley doves today.

Wednesday 8 August

Reached mid 30s in Jerusalem, mid 40s in valley.

Not long before noon, top of post outside army base just up from Jordan valley, not far from Maaleh Gilboa, perhaps at natural sea level mystery bird I can't find yet in book.. dark mask through eye prominent but cap grey, not crested, underside whitish, yellowish upper breast. Primaries black, coverts grey with dark bar going back down diagonally, tail long and dark. shrikish/cuckooish in jizz. perhaps a little heavier than great spotted cuckoo.

swallows seen betw valley and Malkishua. there: many bulbuls, some greenfinches,

also seen, egret by date grove in Jordan valley, also found dead (little?) owl by road (pic above)

jackdaws, hooded crows, feral pigeons, laughing doves, house sparrows, kestrel on line? collared doves, turtle doves, many around agricultural parts of valley? graceful warblers

Camel 'spiders' (Solifuga arachnids) reported at Malkishua and at Shira's base but found none, no doubt in deep in cool dark places under the buildings probably, during the heat of the day.