130 Captain John S. Beeve—Some Birds in Egypt and Palestine


and Goldfinches seemed common about Jerusalem, and the House

Sparrow was also at the Concession works and therefore doubtless

in Jericho too.


The White Wagtail was common at Jerusalem and elsewhere,

and I saw one Grey Wagtail in the Valley of Jehoshaphat ; I saw a

few Chiffchaffs at Jerusalem ; a Palestine Bulbul flew past on the

Jerusalem-Lydda road after leaving the hill country ; two or three

Blackbirds and Thrushes and a Black Redstart were among some

olive-trees on the outskirts of Jerusalem (beyond the Pool of Gihon),

and I saw one other of the last-named on Zacharias’ tomb in theValley

of Jehoshaphat. One or two Mourning Chats (or Pied Wheatear,

0. lugens) were seen, a Fisch’s or Arabian Chat on the Jerusalem-

Lydda road and a Stonechat between Shechem and Engannim.

A Little Owl was sitting on the excavations of the Jebusite city of

Jericho and did not appear as though even Joshua would have made

him stir ! I saw another on the road to Nazareth and heard one in

the Valley of Hinnom. Kestrels seemed plentiful on the Plain of

Esdraelon and in other places, but I was puzzled over some Hawks

near Shechem and about six others were circling like Kites over

Engannim (modern Jenin) ; I was some way from them but they

resembled Kestrels in size but not in behaviour ; is it possible they

were Lesser Kestrels which I believe are usually in colonies ? Tristram

in 1859 stated that they were gregarious about ruins in the Plain

district, there being fifteen or twenty pairs at Ramleh (near Lydda).

I only saw one Black Kite, and it was on a telegraph pole near

Engannim.


I saw a pair of Stock Doves (I forget where !) and a pair of Bock

Doves on the road outside Jericho. Green Plover were about Dothan

and the Plain of Philistia.


In all I am of opinion that I identified only twenty-eight species in

the eleven days I was in Palestine, whereas while in the Fayoum for

two nights I got twenty-six certain and three or four others doubtful,

and in Egypt altogether about sixty. I don’t know if there are

100 Palestinian residents whereas there are over 300 on the list,

Palestine being situated in the centre of one of the great migration

routes, and only in December and January is there no migration taking



