Zababdeh Nature - August - September
August - September Flora
This is one of the few things blooming now. It is called Sea squill (Urginea maritima), I believe. Apparently each of the flowers lasts only one day.
The Sea squill in perspective.
I don't know what these small yellow flowers are, but they and the leaves smell very nice. Maybe it is the herb za'tmani, which people put in tea here. Sorta minty and sorta sagey. mmmm.
I think this is Corn salad, or Valerian (Valeriana dioscordis).
The fields of Zababdeh.
August - September Fauna
In August and September of 2001, we've frequently seen Yellow-vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus xanthopygos) outside our windows. According to my bird book, they are typical of well vegetated areas from Turkey into Arabia. The white eye-ring is especially noticeable. Since they move away whenever I try to photograph them, I've sketched one for your viewing pleasure.
We saw a number of Great Tits (Parus major) in August, in the small trees out our window. It's a resident in many east Mediterranean countries. Here's my rendition of one.
Walking home from school one day in August 2001, I came upon some boys investigating recent roadkill. They told me the Arabic name for this critter (which I promptly forgot), but I did learn from them that these are the critters that make the "molehills" that dot the hills here. Looks pretty hedgehoggy to me, or at least as I imagine hedgehogs.