29-11-2016 GARDENS OF THE BAY, SINGAPORE - DAY WATER LILY (Nymphaea nouchali)

Nymphaea nouchali, often known by its synonym Nymphaea stellata, or by common names blue lotus, star lotus, red water lily, dwarf aquarium lily, blue water lily, blue star water lily or manel flower, is a water lily of genus Nymphaea. It is native to southern and eastern parts of Asia, and is the national flower of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In Sanskrit it is called utpala. This species is usually considered to include the blue Egyptian lotus N. nouchali var. caerulea. In the past, taxonomic confusion has occurred, with the name Nymphaea nouchali incorrectly applied to Nymphaea pubescens.

N. nouchali is a day-blooming non-viviparous plant with submerged roots and stems. Part of the leaves are submerged, while others rise slightly above the surface. The leaves are round and green on top; they usually have a darker underside. The floating leaves have undulating edges that give them a crenellated appearance. Their size is about 20–23 cm (8" to 9") and their spread is up to 1.5 metres (5') from the rhizome.

This water lily has a beautiful flower which is usually white or blue in color. Its variants occur in white, blue,violet,purple,pink & cream/yellowish white colours.The flower has four or five sepals and 13-15 petals that have an angular appearance, making the flower look star-shaped from above. The cup-like calyx has a diameter of 4–15 cm (2" to 6").

The leaves of the lily can be affected by a water-born fungi, Doassansiopsis nymphaea.

This aquatic plant is native in a broad region from Afghanistan, the Indian subcontinent, to Taiwan, southeast Asia and Australia. It has been long valued as a garden flower in Thailand and Myanmar to decorate ponds and gardens. In its natural state, N. nouchali is found in static or slow-flowing aquatic habitats of low to moderate depth.

29-11-2016 GARDENS BY THE BAY, SINGAPORE - BROAD HANDED CARPENTER BEE (Xylocopa latipes)

Xylocopa latipes, the broad-handed carpenter bee, is a species of carpenter bee widely dispersed throughout Southeast Asia. This bee inhabits forests and constructs nests by burrowing into wood. It often makes long deep tunnels in wooden rafters, fallen trees, telephone poles, etc., but is not found in living trees.

It was first described by the English entomologist, Dru Drury in 1773, and is a member of the group of carpenter bees (Family Apidae).

The broad-handed carpenter bee is a very large, robust, solitary bee. It is shiny, fully black in colour with fuscous metallic blue-green or purple wings in sunlight. The broad-handed carpenter bee is among the largest Xylocopa known and among the largest bees of the world (though it is not the world's largest, that title belongs to another Southeast Asian bee, the Indonesian Megachile pluto). It has a loud and distinctive, low-pitched buzzing that can be heard as it flies between flowers or perches. In urban areas, these bees can become attached to certain perches, returning to them day after day, even after several generations.

29-11-2016 GARDEN BY THE BAY, SINGAPORE - YELLOW VENTED BULBUL (Pycnonotus goiavier)

The yellow-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier ), or eastern yellow-vented bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is a resident breeder in southeastern Asia from Indochina to the Philippines. It is found in a wide variety of open habitats but not the deep forest. It is one of the most common birds in cultivated areas. They appear to be nomadic and roam from place to place regularly.

The yellow-vented bulbul builds a well-camouflaged but fragile, loose, deep, cup-shaped nest from grass, leaves, roots, vine stems, and twigs. The nest is untidy on the outside, but neatly lined with plant fibers. It may be built in a wide range of places from low bushes to high trees. This is a species adapted to humans and may even nest in gardens. The yellow-vented bulbul lays 2–5 eggs from February to June.

The yellow-vented bulbul eats berries and small fruits. They also sip nectar, nibble on young shoots, and consume some insects. 

The most common urban bulbul in Southeast Asia, this attractive songster is a common sight in cities, parks, and plantations, as well as in open forests, edges, and secondary growth. Brown above and whitish below with a bright yellow vent and a thick black line between the bill and the eye. Front edge of the weak, slightly peaked crest is also dark. Gives rolling, variable song and bubbly multiple-note calls.

29-11-2016 GARDENS OF THE BAY, SINGAPORE - SACRED LOTUS (Nelumbo nucifera)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera

Nelumbo nucifera, also known as sacred lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often refers to members of the family Nymphaeaceae.

Lotus plants are adapted to grow in the flood plains of slow-moving rivers and delta areas. Stands of lotus drop hundreds of thousands of seeds every year to the bottom of the pond. While some sprout immediately and most are eaten by wildlife, the remaining seeds can remain dormant for an extensive period of time as the pond silts in and dries out. During flood conditions, sediments containing these seeds are broken open, and the dormant seeds rehydrate and begin a new lotus colony.

Under favorable circumstances, the seeds of this aquatic perennial may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China. Therefore, the Chinese regard the plant as a symbol of longevity.

29-11-2016 SINGAPORE - OLIVE BACKED SUNBIRD (FEMALE) (Cinnyris jugularis)

The olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis ), also known as the yellow-bellied sunbird, is a species of sunbird found from Southern Asia to Australia.

The olive-backed sunbird is common across southern China and Southeast Asia to Queensland and the Solomon Islands. Originally from mangrove habitat, the olive-backed sunbird has adapted well to humans, and is now common even in fairly densely populated areas, even forming their nests in human dwellings.

The sunbirds are a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Their flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering, but usually perch to feed most of the time.

The birds mate between the months of April and August in the Northern Hemisphere, and between August and January in the Southern Hemisphere. Both the male and the female assist in building the nest which is flask-shaped, with an overhanging porch at the entrance, and a trail of hanging material at the bottom end.

After building the nest, the birds abandon the nest for about a week before the female returns to lay one or two greenish-blue eggs. The eggs take 2 weeks to hatch. The female may leave the nest for short periods during the day during incubation. After the chicks have hatched, both male and female assist in the care of the young, which leave the nest about two or three weeks later.

29-11-2016 SINGAPORE - PARADOXICAL KEELED MILLIPEDE (Anoplodesmus saussurii)

Anoplodesmus saussurii is a species of millipedes in the family Paradoxosomatidae. It was once thought endemic to Sri Lanka, but it was later found in Fiji and Mauritius.

It is about 21–33 mm in length. Adults are shiny dark brown to black in color. They are much largely aggregated species that can be found undercover of decaying litter layers in the agricultural and horticultural land areas and forests on humid soils. Mainly herbivores, they are known to eat any decaying and rotting leaves and vegetable parts, and even wood, decaying fish, and cow dung. After 20 to 25 days of copulation, female laid 200 to 400 eggs in earthen nests. One female may lay 2 to 4 times of egg masses in her lifetime. After seven moultings, stadia come out to surface after the onset of the rainy season.

10-2-2018 RIO SERPIS GANDIA, VALENCIA - CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis)

9-2-2018 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - RED ADMIRAL BUTTERFLY (Vanessa atalanta)

9-2-2018 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WESTERN HONEY BEE ( Apis mellifera)

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - ECLECTUS PARROT (MALE) (Eclectus roratus)

The Papuan eclectus, red-sided eclectus, or New Guinea eclectus (Eclectus polychloros) is a parrot species which is native to New Guinea. Larger than the Moluccan eclectus, the green plumage of the male only has a slight yellow tinge and the tail is tipped with a half-inch yellow band. The central tail feathers are green and lateral ones blue and green. It is widely distributed from Kai Islands and western islands of the West Papua province in the west, across the island of New Guinea to the Trobriands, D'Entrecasteaux Islands, Louisiade Archipelago, Bismarck Archipelago, and Solomon Islands to the east, and south to the northern Cape York Peninsula of Australia. It has also been introduced to the Goram Islands, Indonesia.

The Papuan eclectus nests in tree cavities and breeds from April to September. Two eggs are typically laid.

The Papuan eclectus is a popular pet parrot and there is a large avicultural population. Many Papuan eclectus in captivity in Australia are apparently hybrids between subspecies E. p. polychloros and E. p. solomonensis, as Taronga Zoo Sydney had a flock of these two subspecies in a large aviary many years ago. Specimens of the Australian subspecies E. p. macgillivrayi have only recently entered the aviculture market in Australia and are more expensive.

The World Parrot Trust recommends that the Papuan eclectus be kept in an enclosure with a minimum length of 3 metres (9.8 ft). It may live for up to 50 years in captivity.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - LESSER BIRD OF PARADISE (MALE) (Paradisaea minor)

The lesser bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea minor ) is a bird-of-paradise in the genus Paradisaea.

The lesser bird-of-paradise is medium-sized, up to 32 cm-long, maroon-brown with a yellow crown and brownish-yellow upper back. The male has a dark emerald-green throat, a pair of long tail-wires and is adorned with ornamental flank plumes which are deep yellow at their base and fade outwards into white. The female is a maroon bird with a dark-brown head and whitish underparts. Further study is required, but it seems likely that birds-of-paradise also possess toxins in their skins, derived from their insect prey.

It resembles the larger greater bird-of-paradise, but the male of that species has a dark chest, whereas the female is entirely brown (no whitish underparts).

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - GREEN PEAFOWL (Pavo muticus)

The Green peafowl (Pavo muticus) is a peafowl species native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Due to their natural beauty, these birds are still sometimes targeted by the pet trade, feather collectors, and even by hunters for meat. They are a much-desired bird for private and home aviculturists, despite their rather high-maintenance care requirements.

The sexes of Green peafowl are quite similar in appearance, especially in the wild. Both males and females have long upper-tail coverts (which cover the tail itself, underneath). In the male, this extends up to 2 m (6.6 ft) and is decorated with eyespots; in the female, the coverts are green and much shorter, just covering the tail. Outside of the breeding season, however, the male's train is moulted; distinguishing the sexes during this period can be difficult unless they are observed quite up close. The neck and breast feathers (of both sexes) are highly iridescent green and resemble dragon scales. In the male, the scapular, median, and greater wing coverts are blue; the lesser coverts are green and form a triangle of scaly shoulder feathers (when the wing is closed). The secondaries are black and, in some subspecies, the tertials are brown and/or barred with a faint pattern. The female has blue lesser coverts and lacks the triangle at the wing-shoulder. Females also have neck scales fringed with copper, as well as more barring on the back, the primaries and alula. Both sexes have shafted crests, are long-legged, heavy-winged, and long-tailed in silhouette. The crest of the female has slightly wider plumes, while those of the male are thinner but taller. The facial skin is double-striped with a whitish-blue; beside the ear is a yellow-orange crescent. The dark triangle below the eye (towards the eyebrow) is bluish-green in the male, and brown in the female. Seen from a distance, they are generally dark-coloured birds with pale vermillion- or buff-coloured primaries, which are quite visible in their peculiar flight; this action has been described as a true "flapping" flight, lacking the gliding that one associates with many birds.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - MALAYAN PEACOCK PHEASANT (Polyplectron malacense)

The Malayan peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron malacense) also known as crested peacock-pheasant or Malaysian peacock-pheasant, is a medium-sized pheasant of the galliform family Phasianidae. The closely related Bornean peacock-pheasant (P. schleiermacheri) was formerly included here as a subspecies, but as understood today, P. malacense is monotypic.

It is one of the shortest-tailed peacock-pheasants. Adult males are about 50 cm long, about half of which is made up by the tail. Their tarsus measures approximately 6.5 cm, and their wings are 20–21 cm long; they weigh from over 600 to nearly 700 g.

The female is slightly smaller than the male, with a noticeably shorter tail; measuring about 40 cm overall, its tail is slightly less than 20 cm long, while its tarsus measures c.6 cm and its wing length is 18 cm. Adult females weigh about 450-550.

Their plumage is generally pale brown with small black spots and bands all over, creating the "salt-and-pepper" effect found in most peacock-pheasants. It has iridescent blue-green eyespots with a buff border on its upperwings, back, and on the 22 rectrices, a white throat running down to the center of the breast, and a loose, pointed and upturned dark blue-green crest on its forehead. A bare facial skin surrounds the eyes with their bluish-white iris; usually pink, it becomes bright orange-red during courtship. The bill and legs are blackish.

Female plumage is duller than in males, with a vestigial crest and eyespots only on remiges and rectrices. On the wing coverts and back, they have dark dots instead, which are pointed towards the feather tip.

Young birds resemble females but have even less-developed eyespots and usually lack them entirely except on the rectrices. The downy hatchlings are pale chestnut-brown above and buff below.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - MOUNTAIN PEACOCK PHEASANT (Polyplectron inopinatum)

The mountain peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron inopinatum ) also known as Rothschild's peacock-pheasant or mirror pheasant is a medium-sized, up to 65 cm long, blackish brown pheasant with small ocelli and long graduated tail feathers. Both sexes are similar. The male has metallic blue ocelli on upperparts, green ocelli on tail of twenty feathers and two spurs on legs. Female has black ocelli on upperparts, unspurred legs and tail of eighteen feathers. The female is smaller and duller than male.

A shy and elusive bird, the mountain peacock-pheasant is distributed and endemic to montane forests of the central Malay Peninsula. The diet consists mainly of berries, beetles and ants.

Mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b and D-loop as well as the nuclear ovomucoid intron G data confirms that this species belongs to a clade together with the bronze-tailed peacock-pheasant, Germain's peacock-pheasant and grey peacock-pheasant (Kimball et al. 2001).

The molecular data suggests - though not with high confidence - that this species diverged from mainland stock earlier than the bronze-tailed peacock-pheasant. This is quite spurious, since its biogeography and derived plumage, and the fact that it is a peninsular mountain endemic indicate it is derived from a fairly small founder population; this would confound molecular analyses. What seems clear is that the present species evolved from mainland Southeast Asian stock, probably during the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene (3.6-1 myr). The unique pattern of wings and tail thus is, contrary to long-held opinion, an autapomorphy, and the southern species of this clade - formerly separated in the genus Chalcurus - are probably not each other's closest relatives.

Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size and limited range, the mountain peacock-pheasant is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix III of CITES in Malaysia.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - AFRICAN PIED HORNBILL (Lophoceros fasciatus)

The African pied hornbill (Lophoceros fasciatus ) is a bird of the hornbill family, a family of tropical near-passerine birds found in the Old World.

The African pied hornbill is a common resident breeder in much of equatorial Africa, from The Gambia to western Uganda and northern Angola. This is a bird of mainly forest habitats. The female lays up to four white eggs in a tree hole, which is blocked off during incubation with a cement made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks.

The African pied hornbill is omnivorous and eats fruit and insects. It feeds mainly in trees and is attracted to oil palms.

This conspicuous and gregarious bird advertises its presence with its whistling pii-pii-pii-pii- call.

When the chicks and the female are too big to fit in the nest, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the wall. Then both parents feed the chicks.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - BLACK BILLED MAGPIE (Pica hudsonia)

This species prefers generally open habitats with clumps of trees. It can therefore be found in farmlands and suburban areas, where it comes into regular contact with people. Where persecuted it becomes very wary, but otherwise it is fairly tolerant of human presence. Historically associated with bison herds, it now lands on the backs of cattle to glean ticks and insects from them. Large predators such as wolves are commonly followed by black-billed magpies, who scavenge from their kills. The species also walks or hops on the ground, where it obtains food items such as beetles, grasshoppers, worms, and small rodents.

The black-billed magpie is one of the few North American birds that build a domed nest, which is made up of twigs and sits near the top of trees, usually housing 6–7 eggs. Incubation, by the female only, starts when the clutch is complete, and lasts 16–21 days. The nestling period is 3–4 weeks.

1-12-2015 ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA - ALEXANDRINE PARAKEET (Psittacula eupatria)

The Alexandrine parakeet (Psittacula eupatria), also known as the Alexandrine parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula of the family Psittaculidae, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is named after Alexander the Great, who transported numerous birds from Punjab to various European and Mediterranean countries and regions, where they were prized by the royalty, nobility and warlords.

The Alexandrine parakeet has established feral populations in Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Iran, where it lives alongside feral populations of its close relative, the rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri).

8-2-2018 OLIVA MARJAL, VALENCIA - COMMON CHIFFCHAFF (Phylloscopus collybita)

8-2-2018 OLIVA MARJAL, VALENCIA - MALLARD (FEMALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

8-2-2018 OLIVA MARJAL, VALENCIA - MALLARD (MALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)