Beautiful fall day

Not the greatest light for photos but was "great" to see this Great Horned Owl while I was going for a jeep ride.  It flew off but I relocated it a minute later.

 This brave blue jay was successful at running off the owl.

 Roosting turkey.

 Spotted Towhee

 What is going on with the Prickly Pears?

 Lots of young turkeys around.

 Looks like another owl but just a log :)

 These are the ever diligent harvester ants.

 Wish I knew what kind of flower this is.

 I could hear lots of sparrows in the field, brought in by a weak cool front.

 What kind of spider is this?

 YAY!  A western Scrub Jay!

 Someone is watching!

 Kind of like life, you never know what is around the bend.

Birding in Israel

Off to Israel I went with 200 pounds of homemade blankets and quilts to distribute to the needy!  I also enjoyed seeing birds everywhere I went and here are some that I managed to photograph.  First is the common myna - and by the way I did notice that each one seemed to have a different song...

 This is the Hoopoe, the state bird of Israel!  I loved these guys most of all.

 The rose-ringed parakeets were also a pretty common sight.

 This is the Eurasian Jay, looking kind of like Groucho Marx.

 This is the Spectacled bulbul, aka yellow vented bulbul.

Cute, isn't it!?!?

 Hooded Crow

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Laughing dove, making eyes at me :)

 This is a Lesser Whitethroat, a common bird in migration.

 Lesser Whitethroat

 Blackcap warbler

 I was fortunate to watch them banding, ok they called it "ringing" the birds at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory.  This one is a wood warbler, one of the few colorful warblers.

 This is the similar eastern Bonelli's warbler.

 Have no idea what kind of turtles these are but they did appreciate the water feature.

 Singing Great Tit's were everywhere!

 These lizards were over a foot long.

 Not a surprise but here is where Eurasian Collared Doves are supposed to be.

 These are Spur-winged Lapwings that I saw along the road to Tel Aviv.

 On the beach, this Rock Pigeon seemed to be going in circles.

 Could not manage to get a close shot, but Common Swifts were feeding in this pond.  They were always overhead in Jerusalem.

 This is the handsome Eurasian Blackbird.

 The Greenfinch seemed more yellow to me.

 This sweet guy would not pose for me, but it was my first Common Nightingale!

 This one would not pose for me either, but it is a Sardinian Warbler!  It reminded me of the Black Capped Vireo back in Texas.

 Outstanding to see a Eurasian Wryneck - just for a second before it flew off!

 Bluebonnets at the Botanical Gardens in Jerusalem!  I felt right at home.

 Willow warbler!

 This was another lifer for me, a Collared Flycatcher, female.

 Another Great Tit.

 The only woodpecker in the area is the Syrian Woodpecker.

 A very handsome bird!

 I could not get a picture of the male but this is a female palestine sunbird.  Like a hummingbird but with a very curved bill.

 White throated kingfisher!

 Can't resist a photo op when they are close.  Hooded Crow.

 This Common Whitethroat was enjoying a bath in the sprinkler!

 Laughing Dove, love its necklace!

  Here is a Western Great Egret... and a Mallard!  How I miss the beautiful wildflowers, especially the poppies that were so beautiful!

 Hope I can return here again soon.