Yaarbiriah's Nature Walks

Looking north- eastish at the digging covering most of the ground between the water channel and the young pine grove.

Photograph of some of the numerous diggings in gazelle field, almost half the field is now covered with these square shapes.. husband there for scale. Tree planting soon? This pic facing towards central trail/look out corner. The pistacio grove in the far background.

Feral cat lurks down the bank from valley road, north facing slope on the north watercourse side. It was noticeably warier than the usual feral cat and given its wild type markings it may have been a wild cat Felis (sylvestris) lybica (which could occur in this region and habitat) or more likely a wild/feral cross. It fled into deeper shade. We've already seen feral cats with wild markings particularly the three bars on the tail (photographed a few months ago) and I read that they will interbreed quite freely. The wild cat tends to have a bit more sandy colouring and perhaps not quite so short haired but there could be regional variation.

Tuesday 24 Nov: Around house, sunbird, white spectacled bulbul since dawn, also house sparrow and softly cooing laughing dove.
3 white wagtails calling and flying over the end of our street as we headed down
Jackdaws, Hooded crows seen, heard. Chaffinch like calls in pines just down from Shadiker hyrax colony but none clearly seen. As we entered woods heard calls like chiffchaff, also Syrian woodpecker, blackbird.

Wednesday 25 Nov: Around house, sunbird, white spectacled bulbul and laughing doves as yesterday.
Also about, feral pigeons, jackdaws, hooded crows, blackbirds, Syrian woodpeckers, insect eating birds in the pines which managed to stay elusive but probably chiffchaffs and such.

Two gazelle down by the almond row bounding along across away from the fence, thin horns, not adult males.

Much work has been done on gazelle field.. patches each about a metre square dug out regular intervals possibly for tree planting, most of west side and area by crossing watercourse. The Pistacio grove has been pruned and various dead branches of eucalyptus sawn off including the dead tree at look-out corner. Thistle patches by east end of north valley watercourse have been mown.

Most interesting sighting today was at about 10.30 p.m. when we took our dog (cairn terrier) out for a walk. Colby was standing pretty much frozen and staring at the start of the central trail. I saw in my peripheral vision what I took for a ginger cat crossing the road right in front of us and heading down onto central trail. (He was running free and since we heard a horse approach behind us we decided to put him on the lead as that horse is a touch nervous I approached to get him).

The boys with the horse approached and we got into a conversation. One of them had raised several chickens and this fox or another had raided his coop, killed the lot.. even been so bold as to approach and try to get one out of his hand. The boy was under the impression the fox was sick- not good since foxes can carry rabies around here, but we are not sure on what he based his opinion- the fact it was bold and hungry or signs that it was out of condition. I need to ask for more details.

As we spoke the fox remained just down the bank a few metres away, watching us. Presently it slipped off parallel to the road down the bank and crossed valley road again on the pumphouse side, and headed up the bank, turned, crossed valley road again and headed back to central trail, completing its circle, then headed off down the trail east. A few minutes later we saw a fox head up the bank by the Shadiker hyrax colony - given timing and a few small details of its appearance we decided this had to be a second fox, and this one Colby wanted to chase.. we had to restrain him! Husband wished he'd brought camera as the fox came so close, up to ten feet at one point.

Thursday 26th Nov: gazelle spotted heading from sapling field into woods between valley road and east watercourse.

Bird life pretty much as yesterday.

This evening husband caught the feral/wild cat pic though of course we were hoping for the foxes again and this afternoon we took some pics of the dug patches on gazelle field.

Saturday 28th Nov: First chaffinch sighting of the season! Male perched on top of one of the trees on the forest side of valley road, not far from the pumping station.

Lots of hyraxes active today by valley road of various sizes though no very small ones. Birds seen/heard: white spectacled bulbul, syrian woodpeckers, blackbird (including brief song), collared dove, laughing dove (coo), graceful warblers, hooded crows, jackdaws.

Today, Sunday, I returned to the place where all the crocuses were growing in profusion, just up the bank to the east of the east valley dirt road, found this one open.

This, taken last thursday, pretty much all the winter crocuses were in bud. Below, milk thistle germinating all over the place, the first, seed leaves (cotyledons) are simple in shape with just a few pale markings but the next pair already have the spiny serrations of the future leaves.

Friday 20 Nov: Before dawn, sunbird squeak alarm yet again, early afternoon blackbird SONG heard.

Saturday 21 Nov: Gazelle: No luck on our walk this afternoon but on our way back up from our evening walk an adult male gazelle was ahead of us on the last turn, right between us and the caravan shul. When it became aware of us it ran around the back of the caravan and paused at the end of Elias, then made its way in less alarmed fashion across part of the empty lot beyond and then down the bank.

Lots of hyrax about this (late) afternoon on our walk, on the forest side of forest road across from 'cypress slum', on and between the boulders and nibbling up the trees. a few dropped down out of them at our approach.

Husband spotted two sparrowhawks over towards east field. As we approached look-out corner area from east valley dirt trail I noticed male black redstart on a rebar, always good to see. A little later stonechats heard and one male spotted perched in the fore field just beyond the rubble. Syrian woodpeckers heard. Graceful warblers heard, flock of jackdaws up to the north west today, by A Ram, at least 100 probably more. Hooded crows over, Eurasian jays about the woods.

Sunday 22 Nov: Again before dawn, at about quarter to six a.m. sunbird started off with much squeaking alarm calls. Soon after a white spectacled bulbul called melodiously for a while, house sparrows chirped and farther off jackdaws and hooded crows called. Laughing dove cooed softly later.

As we walked northish along the east valley dirt road we heard chukar partridges from somewhere in the valley, first time we've heard them in weeks.

We ascended the shepherd's trail to look out over east field and were in luck.. 6 today! An adult male gazelle was grazing in the quite close company of a group of at least five gazelles, females and well grown young- just a little to the south of the olive grove in one of the lowest parts of the field. Presently they started to move towards windsurfer hill, parallel to the fence which gives them some sort of cover. I've noticed five paces.. walk, trot, run, a bounding, leaping run when they really want to make speed, and a sproinging bounce.. all we saw them do this afternoon apart from the bounce which is usually used when one gazelle wants to catch up to another gazelle quickly. The buck was quite happy where he was and continued grazing, apparently oblivious to the movements of the others away from him.

Monday 23 Nov: Hooded crows winging home from foraging, white wagtail noticed end of Elias very interested in a dense tree, flew at it a couple of times, seemed quite excited. Wants to roost in there or some interesting forage? Sunbird and bulbul about from dawn again. In the woods: blackbirds, chak chak alarm call at dusk.

A couple of weeks ago my eldest son, Aharon, travelled in the south of the country.  Here he is relaxing on the shores of the Dead Sea surrounded by Tristram's starlings  Onychognathus tristramii They are numerous down there and have adapted, and even thrive on the presence of man. One is actually perched on his left hand,  this I have NEVER seen before. It clearly trusts him and is interested in his pita bread and cheese!At least five  forage for crumbs on the ground and three more watch out for opportunities from the backs of chairs.

Below, a female Tristram's starling - you can tell by the brown rather than jet black head.

Saturday Nov 14: hyraxes.. 1 up a cypress near the top, Shabbat so no camera but would have been great pic. He carefully started to spiral down on thin branches around the trunk.

Fox: Behind cistern, near the large pine.. strolled along top of a dry stone wall then went into vegetation, pouncing motions.. from the way he looked in our direction seemed he was aware of us but not bothered. Not one of dark patchy foxes, intermediate.. face greyish, paling at the muzzle, flanks grey with hints of russet, dirty white tip to long bushy tale.

At same time we were watching the fox a group of gazelle passed behind, females and well grown young, across the watercourse and into the lowest far east field. Seemed they'd made their way from behind the pine grove from east field. At least four individuals but could have been more, light was fading, shortly after sunset. Adult buck was grazing by an almond a little farther to the west.

White spectacled bulbul outside the window about 5.45 a.m. again followed soon after by house sparrow chirps. On our walk Jackdaws and hooded crows seen and heard, returning from forage to roost, great tits calls, calls of graceful warblers, white wagtails passing over. Some stonechat calls around the cistern but we were too late for the black redstart. Blackbirds heard just after dusk chakking away by central trail.

I looked out for autumn grape hyacinth in other locations (specifically woods trail just north of the sapling field) but did not find yet though crocuses and autumn squill were blooming. As for the saplings, they are not doing very well. One Ailanthus thriving but most are having hard time since surrounded by thistles have not received much in the way of nutrients and are struggling though hopefully will pick up after the rainy season, this is after all a trough in the year for the Pistacios. The new season of milk thistles is already beginning.. their seed leaves are up and the second pair of small but typical milk thistle leaf is now visible esp by the trail to the saplings.

Temps today: 11.25 to just over 17 degrees C ( ~52.25- 62.75)

Sunday Nov 15: First bird I heard in the morning in the pre-dawn dark was the incessant squeak alarm of a sunbird coming from somewhere across the garden.. I'd guess the cape honeysuckle. There's a family of cats around there that probably got it in that state. In the afternoon as we left for our walk we heard a variety of sunbird calls from the honeysuckle, which is now in bloom again, brilliant orange in its upper reaches. Soft laughing dove coos later.

Gazelle luck again.. 3 today.. across north valley watercourse we saw a buck graze and two others, one had bent right thin horn so may be the same two we saw on the trail a few days ago and by the large almond before that.

Ticking like that of European robin on each side of the trail, one coming from the pines, one from the acacias by the watercourse but birds themselves not sighted, they are being very elusive. If they are going to be territorial, please sing!

Crows returning to roost, jackdaw calls, Eurasian jays about and calls.

Monday Nov 16: sunbird actually in SONG in the Bauhinia outside my window today mid afternoon though not sustained for long. Two Raptors flying between trees in north valley, husband saw them better, may be Eurasian sparrowhawks but just a glimpse.
Hooded crows, jackdaws, Eurasian jays heard and seen about. White wagtails heard, as were graceful warblers and blackbirds chak chak about the woods.

Tuesday Nov 17: sunbird heard again since dawn. Blackbird heard in garden or nearby garden in song for a short while. Tristram's starling whistles heard as we set out, then two noticed flying from neighbourhood toward Hizmeh.

Wednesday Nov 18: sunbird again singing in the Bauhinia mid afternoon, soft laughing dove coos. Eurasian sparrowhawk over gazelle field. Much mole rat activity lately.

Thursday Nov 19: sunbird heard not long before dawn thursday and friday morning squeak alarm.

Fox seen on east valley dirt road just across the bridge. Took off up the slope under the trees on the other side till out of view.

Two Tristram's starlings calling and circling over our street and valley road- for a short while apparently chased/mobbed by a pair of feral pigeons. It seemed that the pigeons didn't welcome the starlings on 'their' rooftops. Husband has seen the pair around a few times lately and perched up on rooftop of building with the date palm roost. Perhaps this is why they circled so many times, the pigeons did not want to let them settle?

Syrian woodpecker call and flew over east valley, much graceful warbler vocalization today, brief collared dove coo? (Laughing doves heard cooing in the garden earlier), ticking in the acacia on our way down from buildings to valley road, sounded like European robin but was being very furtive, did not see. Stonechats heard around the cistern towards dusk.

Second crocus species found by shepherd's trail, whitish with fine dark purple veining outer base of petals, a little larger than the pinks. Crocus hyemalis? (winter crocus) Most likely. I think the purple ones we see are Colchicum hieroscolymitanum (Jerusalem Autumn crocus). I think this is also the pale crocus we photographed in gazelle field last year. Will post pic soon along with a few others of today.. probably this coming saturday night.

Ant activity: Busy nest at the edge of the north valley dirt road, brown dirt spread in a ray at least a foot around the entrance holes. Beyond that you can just make out a wider area of influence, several square metres tinged green in contrast with the grey/brown of the dirt road.
Lean back and relax your eyes to see this green 'aura' better.


Area of activity: ants at work busy carting their loads about from several entrance holes.

Green tinge explained: ant housecleaning, unwanted seeds including clover, deposited beyond the brown zone are germinating all over the path, little seed leaves all over. The ants are aiding seed dispersal and the growth of their food plants.

I always delight in finding a species we have not ever noticed before.  I always go out with an open 'you never know' attitude but after all this time I don't fully expect to find an obvious unfamiliar species.   I almost missed these since they are somewhat similar to the autumn squill at a glance but more towards the blue end of the spectrum and the form and arrangement on the stem clearly different.  At home I.D.d them from the pic as Autumn grape hyacinth or Baby's breath..  Muscari parviflorum.  Pls. Click on it for a better view.   

Close to the north valley watercourse as it comes out into the open field we found a cypress with this affliction on some of its cones. Husband rubbed a few off with his fingers and found them rather soft and fibrous, like small silky coccoons.

These long 'snouted moths are quite common.  I took a few shots but in some the subtle shaded barring at the ends of the wings was clear but head and antennae blurred, in others, such as this, vice versa.  Many seed leaves are visible round about.

Wednesday 11 Nov: Gazelles: Two noticed grazing close to the large almond. Female and well grown young? Both had very thin horns and one did seem a little larger than the other. As they became aware of us they made their way back towards the north east corner of the pines but unhurried. We also found many tracks and some scat in the Pistacio orchard esp the east end.

Black redstart present at the bunker rubble when we arrived there. Erasian jays, Syrian woodpeckers, graceful warblers, blackbirds also heard.

Melodious calls of White spectacled bulbul heard in the garden at about quarter to 6 a.m. when still dark. Later, hooded crows, jackdaws, house sparrows, soft coo of laughing doves.

Thursday 12 Nov: Gazelles, two on the dirt road near the shaft. They were aware of us but not spooked, they took it in turns to graze and stare over at us. Both small thin horns, one had one crooked horn, I think the right. I think they were the two we saw at the almond yesterday.

My favourite find today was the autumn grape hyacinth, (above)  found just down from the shaft, between the north valley dirt road and north watercourse in the open.  There were also many Jerusalem autumn crocus in that area as well as numerous autumn squill but we only found a fewof the Muscari.  All these were given partial cover by old thistles and thorny burnet. I also found one three spot Dianthus flower emerging through a thorny burnet,  many of which now bear small leaves, and a few clumps of Goldilocks in bloom .. late bloomers since so many of them farther west along the watercourse have  already gone to seed. 

Eurasian jays,  Syrian woodpeckers,  calls probably of chiffchaffs,  hooded crows,  flock of about 100 jackdaws foraging up near wall by A Ram,  calls of great tits, white wagtails,  white spectacled bulbul outside my window again at about quarter to six calling melodiously and husband heard Tristram's starling whistle somewhere off east. 

Crocuses everywhere and the usual shade, pale lilac. Where they bloom there are usually also lots of tiny autumn squill, like amethyst studs. I was trying to be careful not to step on any!

Asphodel foliage already surges up in a clump.. I noticed elsewhere where the earth had eroded that they sprout from an underground mass of branched rhyzomes,  very much like those of ginger.  You can also see evidence of the charring of last summer's fires but that has clearly not damaged them. 

Crocus of a deeper shade found just off central trail. There was an area just to the west of the owl glade under the shade of the pines over which spring squill and crocuses were popping up in profusion. Another similar area was found by the trail between east watercourse dirt road and valley road, just north of the sapling field. Most other areas had no crocuses at all, occurrence was notably patchy. Colour range too- this above has one of the deeper shades found but most have a much paler lilac hue.

New flush of green by the east valley watercourse.

Saturday 8 Nov: First crocus of the autumn, one of the pale purple jobs just off central trail. Several autumn squill growing round about. Pleasing discovery. I'd checked this time last year in the blog and was looking out for them.

Graceful warblers active and vocal, blackbird alarm chaks, melodious white spectacled bulbul calls, No luck with black redstart at the rubble but I think we got there a little late.. already sunset and may have retired for the day if there. Stonechats also silent this time.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk seen flying over.

The water that had been flooding over central trail late last week had already pretty much dried up and was passable even in sandles.. not even much significant mud. Earthy mud is more common along the east valley dirt road at this time of year mainly because of the passage of vehicles and we walk along the stubbly edges to keep from getting our shoes clogged up with it.

Sunday 9 Nov: Today I was determined to get a sighting of a black redstart before he retires for the evening. Next year we really have to get that first sighting in early because I'm sure we missed when he came, last year he was already here by the end of October. I say 'he' as if it's the same individual. Possible, but of course, we can't be sure. We got there just before 4.40 p.m. when there was still some late afternoon sun (with very scattered altocumulus type clouds.)

He was there! :) To my delight, there was 'Blackie', perched on top of a rebar near one of the larger blocks of concrete. As we approached he flitted off into the eucalyptus grove for a little while but as we stayed under the pines, keeping still he returned to another rebar, flicking and bobbing and looking sharp.

We scanned both north and east fields for gazelle as well as the hillslopes for as far as I could see but no luck on gazelles today.

Greenfinches heard twittering briefly, Syrian woodpecker calls, blackbird alarm calls and quite a few graceful warbler calls. Stonechats also called from the fields at about sunset.

As we left neighbourhood we noticed feral pigeon flock swirling over the buildings looking agitated. Husband spotted a raptor that had probably upset them, from his description, a sparrowhawk. Laughing dove soft coos heard again, house sparrows and melodious white spectacled bulbul calls. Don't recall last time I heard a sunbird outside, not lately but we did see a bat at dusk and crickets still calling. Also slight increase in black millipedes lately.

Monday 9 Nov: Many autumn squill and crocuses by north valley watercourse, either side of the dirt road, between road and watercourse itself and the north facing hillslopes. Great tit scolding in an acacia, Syrian woodpecker calls, also Eurasian jay and graceful warbler, flock of ~50 jackdaws returning to roost, house sparrows gathering in the date palms as usual. White spectacled bulbul calling melodiously in the garden this morning when still dark. Husband noticed hooded crow flock mobbing something over by the cistern earlier today but didn't see what. Some large raptors passing through lately, could be one of those. Some Leaf warbler calls from pines, probably chiffchaff.

Again, no luck on gazelle but bat seen at dusk over valley road.

Tuesday 10 Nov: Unaccompanied by husband today: Walked down path from corner valley road, heard hyraxes skittering away.. many autumn squill and crocuses studded the new green like amethysts. Calls of jackdaws, hooded crows, Eurasian jays, bulbuls, Syrian woodpeckers, great tits, white wagtails, greenfinch.. latter two in flight over.. quite a bit of bird activity now in the valley, pre roost foraging and socializing. Continued round to look-out corner.. stopped by the flood slope to clean up some litter washed down from the road.. it's that time of year again, saw eldest son Aharon down there with a friend, doing stretches after athletic training.. he mentioned seeing many hyraxes out. No black redstart there as I arrived but I sat on a rock by the eucalytpus grove to wait a little and soon he appeared on rebar very close to where he was the other day. Shortly after heard stonechats in the fields beyond.

'Ticking' call before dawn today outside my window.. European robin again? I'd like to hear one sing here to be certain, as too dark at that time for any sighting! I've heard them sing in other parts of Jerusalem in winter (notably in the grounds of Mount Scopus hospital just before my son Moshe was born), and in the olives in the valley by Mount Zion. They are very territory conscious and will stake out a claim over winter and sing to protect it but I've yet to hear that on my patch. Leaf warblers about from calls I heard, no luck on gazelle.