Yaarbiriah's Nature Walks

seedhead of Sharp varthemia also known as 'goldilocks', Chiliadenus iphionoides . Below, anothe rkind of seedhead growing in clover sized patches by north valley dirtroad.


Saturday:

Nice flock of feral pigeons over our street, up, swirling about, alighting on rooftops.. almost 100 members, they've been doing well lately! White wagtail distinctly heard, one glimpsed? Flying up onto a rooftop on Shadiker near the house sparrow date palm roost (which was already gathering members) . Syrian woodpecker seen flying over valley road into pines, blackbird and white spectacled bulbul calls in the pines. Sunbird song in the Bauhinia earlier today.
Jackdaws and hooded crows heading to roost. Eurasian Jay calls.

Forgot to mention late last week jays noisy in pines, a clamour that sounded suspiciously like mobbing behaviour. This was confirmed shortly after as husband glimpsed a large bird take off from that area but did not get detail, if some kind of buzzard, long eared owl or something else.

Keeping an eye and ear out now for any winter arrivals.. stonechats, black redstarts, starlings, robins, chaffinches. Leaf warblers are already about but others no sign yet. Occasional stone curlew calls but brief.

Weather today: 16.5- 24 degrees C (61.7- 75.2), still mild, and despite some cumulus rain not fallen, not that I noticed.

38%-88% winds variable 0-5 knots, NE-E-SE

Sunday: In east field, two gazelle running towards pine grove, two adult females or female and very well grown young. Hyrax high pitch alarm call at pumphouse colony as darkness fell.

Monday: Sunbird singing and calling in Bauhinia again today and lately. White spectacled bulbul heard melodious calls before dawn out there as well as house sparrows, hooded crows and jackdaws.

Jays, blackbirds, Syrian woodpecker heard but where have chukar been? Very low profile lately, haven't heard them in a while. A variety of butterflies and moths about and still grasshoppers.

Four gazelle on hillside across north watercourse, mothers and young including one very small young, a couple of months/few weeks old at most.  Farther to the east a lone adult male not far from bat cave. 

Heavy though brief shower in the afternoon.

Below, a caterpillar found on a caper leaf on monday,  north banks of north watercourse.  On the leaf you can see damage by the caper bugs earlier in the season.

Cast off skin by some kind of cricket.. found clutched in middle of a clump of Inula by upper part of valley road.  Four short wings.