Holot Mashabim again

I went back to Holot Mashabim this week, again to monitor the phenology of the flowers there. There were still a few flowers in bloom, but not many.

This is my favourite grass in Israel (of the 10 or so I know I guess). When it goes to seed, the seed heads expand and look like a huge interlocking puzzle. Still doesn't top Bouteloua, which remains my favourite grass, but this can be in its own catergory

Who else has a favourite grass? Am I the odd one out here?

I also saw my first wild mushroom growing in Israel. It looked very out of place (at least to me) in the sand dunes, but Efrat told me it is actually quite common.

And I also got a good reminder of why I am working in the greenhouses here. We thought greenhouse work was a better idea, primarily because of the grazing in this system. First a Bedouin woman and her goats went through the area that I had collected my seeds from....

And then a group of camels.

I think a camel or a goat really could do some damage to a plot that I had in the dunes.....admitedly maybe not as much as a goose, but they'd likely be harder to keep out.