4-3-2019 RIO EBRO, ZARAGOZA - MISTLE THRUSH (Turdus viscivorus)

The mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus) is a bird common to much of Europe, temperate Asia and North Africa. It is a year-round resident in a large part of its range, but northern and eastern populations migrate south for the winter, often in small flocks. It is a large thrush with pale grey-brown upper parts, a greyish-white chin and throat, and black spots on its pale yellow and off-white under parts. The sexes are similar in plumage, and its three subspecies show only minimal differences. The male has a loud, far-carrying song which is delivered even in wet and windy weather, earning the bird the old name of stormcock. Historically, the name was also sometimes spelled "missel thrush".

Found in open woods, parks, hedges and cultivated land, the mistle thrush feeds on a wide variety of invertebrates, seeds and berries. Its preferred fruit include those of mistletoe, holly, rowan, and yew. Mistletoe is favoured where it is available, and this is reflected in the thrush's English and scientific names; the plant, a parasitic species, benefits from its seeds being excreted by the thrush onto branches where they can germinate. In winter, a mistle thrush will vigorously defend mistletoe clumps or other fruit-bearing trees as a food reserve for when times are hard, chasing off other thrushes and other fruit-eating birds like waxwings.

The open cup nest is built against a trunk or in a forked branch, and is fearlessly defended against potential predators, sometimes including humans or cats. The clutch, typically of three to five eggs, is incubated for 12–15 days, mainly by the female. The chicks fledge about 14–16 days after hatching. There are normally two broods. There was a range expansion in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and a small decline in recent decades, perhaps due to changes in agricultural practices. Given its numbers and large range, this thrush is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being of least concern.Mistle thrushes are found as individuals or pairs for much of the year, although families forage together in late summer, and groups may merge to form large flocks when food sources are plentiful. It is not uncommon for up to 50 thrushes to feed together at that time of year. They roost at night in trees or bushes, again typically as individuals or pairs, except in late summer or autumn when families may roost together.

The mistle thrush is quite terrestrial, hopping with its head held up and body erect; when excited, it will flick its wings and tail. The flight consists of undulating bounds interspersed with glides.Mistle thrushes feed mainly on invertebrates, fruit and berries. Animal prey include earthworms, insects and other arthropods, slugs and snails. Snails are sometimes smashed on a stone "anvil", a technique also used by the song thrush. The mistle thrush has been known to kill slowworms and the young of the song thrush, blackbird and dunnock.

Plant food includes the fruits and seeds of bushes and trees, mainly holly, yew, rowan, ivy and mistletoe, but also, for example, blackberry, cotoneaster, crab apple, cherry, elder, hawthorn, olive, sea-buckthorn, and rose. It may eat the flowers and shoots of grasses and other plants, and will take fallen apples and plums. It forages within its breeding habitat and in open fields, sometimes sharing these feeding areas with redwings, fieldfares, and ring ouzels.

Young birds are initially mainly fed on invertebrates, often collected from low foliage or under bushes rather than in the grassland preferred by the adults. Adults will roam up to 1 km (approximately 1,100 yards) from the nest on pasture or ploughed land. After fledging the young may accompany their parents until the onset of winter. Individuals or pairs will defend one or more fruit-bearing trees throughout the winter, with preference shown for trees which host mistletoe, the parasitic plant from which the bird derives its name. Where mistletoe is not present, holly is the most common tree chosen.[30] Although the thrush normally feeds on the ground and from low bushes, the defence of this resource conserves fruit for later in the season when other food items become scarce. The trees are defended against other thrushes as well as birds such as the bullfinch and great spotted woodpecker. In milder winters with an abundance of fruit, however, this strategy is less used and thrushes can be observed foraging in flocks. Conversely, in hard winters, the defender may be overwhelmed by large flocks of fieldfares, redwings or Bohemian waxwings.

4-3-2019 RIO EBRO, ZARAGOZA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

The Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, is a dainty heron adorned in pure white plumage. It is characterized by a slender black beak, long black legs, and, notably in the western race, yellow feet. This elegant bird is a sight to behold with its graceful neck and poised stance.

Adult Little Egrets measure between 55–65 cm in length with a wingspan of 88–106 cm, and weigh 350–550 g. Their plumage is predominantly white, though some may exhibit bluish-grey coloration. Breeding adults boast ornate nape plumes reaching about 150 mm, along with distinctive feathers on the breast and elongated scapulars. The bill and lores are black, with greenish-grey skin at the base of the lower mandible and around the eye, which houses a yellow iris. Legs are black with contrasting yellow feet, though juveniles may have greenish-black legs and duller feet. The subspecies E. g. nigripes is distinguished by yellow skin between the bill and eye, and blackish feet. 

3-3-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GREAT TIT (Parus major)

The great tit (Parus major) is a small passerine bird, easily recognized by its black head and neck, striking white cheeks, olive upperparts, and vibrant yellow underparts. This bird is the most widespread species in the genus Parus, found across Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of North Africa.

Males are characterized by their bright plumage, with a black bib that extends down the belly, bordered by a lemon-yellow breast. Females and juveniles are similar but have duller coloration. The black line down the belly is also narrower and sometimes broken in these birds.

Great tits favor a variety of woodland habitats, including deciduous and mixed forests, forest edges, and even urban parks and gardens. They are also found in riverine woodlands and, in some regions, boreal taiga.

This species is resident throughout its range, which extends from the Iberian Peninsula to the Amur Valley, and from Scandinavia to the Middle East. It is generally non-migratory, except in harsh winters when it may move to more temperate areas.

Great tits are known for their intelligence and adaptability. They exhibit a range of foraging behaviors and can solve problems with insight learning. They are also cavity nesters and are monogamous, with both parents involved in raising the chicks.

The great tit has a repertoire of up to 40 calls and songs, with the male being particularly vocal. A common call resembles the phrase "teacher, teacher," which is used to proclaim territory.

Breeding occurs once a year, with the female laying up to 12 eggs in a cavity nest. The female incubates the eggs alone, but both parents feed the chicks. In most years, the pair will raise two broods.

In summer, the diet is predominantly insectivorous, while in winter, it expands to include seeds and berries. Great tits are adept at handling large food items and are known to visit bird feeders in urban areas.

3-3-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - CATALONIA WALL LIZARD (Podarcis liolepis)

Podarcis liolepis, the Columbretes wall lizard or Catalan wall lizard, is very similar to the other lizards in the genus Podarcis. This species was formerly described as a subspecies of the Iberian wall lizard, but has now been elevated to species status. These are slender lizards with long tails, narrow tapered heads and long thin toes, and stout legs. Colours are variable, although generally grey-brown. Often very subtle spots and stripes along the back and flanks can be seen and these can be more distinguished in the female. The underside is a much lighter cream or beige with sometimes a reddish tint. Adults grow 15–20 cm in length from the nose to tip of the tail. Body length can be a little as one third of the total body length, the tail making up the other two thirds.

Lifespan around 4–5 years. Sexual maturity is reached in their second year. Breeding takes place in spring after they wake from winter hibernation. 1-5 eggs are laid, each around 5x9mm, in cracks in rocks or under stones. During development the eggs swell and after 8 weeks when ready to hatch they can be 8x15mm in size. They hatch out around early July.

They are found in the north-east of the Iberian peninsula, including southern France in parts of the Pyrenees. They are not found above 3400m elevation.

1-3-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BOAR THISTLE (Galactites tomentosa)

Galactites tomentosus, the purple milk thistle, is a biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Galactites of the Asteraceae family.

Galactites tomentosus is a hemicryptophyte plant up to 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) tall. The stem is erect and pubescent, branched at the top. The leaves are green, long and pinnatisect, lanceolate, mottled with white markings, while the underside is whitish and covered with matted woolly hairs. The margins of the leaves bear strong thorns.

The flower heads are quite large – about 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in diameter. The involucre of the flower head is covered by hairy scales ending with a single grooved thorn. The central flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by insects, while external flowers are sterile; their color varies from white or pink to lilac-purple.

The flowering period extends from April through July and the seeds ripen from August through September[citation needed]. The fruits are achenes with whitish hairy appendages (pappus).

The genus name derives from the Greek γάλα (= "milk"), referring to the dense white hairs covering the stems and leaves of this species, the species name tomentosus means hairy in Latin.

1-3-2019 MARXCHUQUERA, VALENCIA - HOUSE SPARROW (FEMALE) (Passer domesticus)

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a member of the sparrow family Passeridae. This small bird typically measures around 16 cm (6.3 in) in length and weighs between 24–39.5 g (0.85–1.39 oz). The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with females and young birds displaying pale brown and grey plumage, while males are characterized by more vibrant black, white, and brown markings.

Males can be identified by their bright black, white, and brown markings, with a distinctive black bib, white cheeks, and a grey crown. Females lack the striking head patterns of males and are predominantly buffish with softer coloration. Juveniles resemble adult females but are generally paler with less defined markings.

The house sparrow is highly adaptable and can thrive in both urban and rural environments. It is commonly found in close association with human habitation and avoids dense forests, grasslands, polar regions, and deserts far from human development.

1-3-2019 MARXCHUQUERA, VALENCIA - MUSK STORK'S BILL (Erodium moschatum)

Erodium moschatum is a species of flowering plant in the geranium family known by the common names musk stork's-bill and whitestem filaree. This is a weedy annual or biennial herb which is native to much of Eurasia and North Africa but can be found on most continents where it is an introduced species. In North America, it is found in most of the northeast United States and in Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona, as well as the Canadian provices of Québec and Ontario.

Musk stork's-bill is an annual monoecious herb which grows as a sprawling, procumbent to erect plant up to about 60 cm long or tall, with a musky smell when bruised. It is almost entirely covered with either simple or sticky glandular hairs except for the fruits and petals. The stems are green to purple in colour and bear alternate or opposite pinnate leaves up to about 10 cm long (up to 30 cm in very large plants). The leaf segments are serrated and lobed, but not deeply so: no more than about a quarter of the way to the midrib. The petioles are somewhat shorter than the blade, and have papery stipules up to 10 mm long at their base.

28-2-2019 GANDIA, VALENCIA - WESTERN CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis ssp. ibis)

The Western Cattle-Egret is a gregarious, white, upland ardeid (Ardeidae), easily recognized by its foraging association with grazing animals and its exaggerated, head-pumping strut. It differs from the Eastern Cattle-Egret (Ardea coromanda) in having less buff-orange breeding plumage in the head and neck regions.

Small, compact white heron with relatively short yellow bill. More frequently seen in dry habitats than other egrets. In breeding season, look for pale salmon color on head and breast and brighter bill. Leg color varies from reddish or yellow during the breeding season to black during the nonbreeding season. Juveniles have dark bill. Always note relatively short, thick neck and short legs compared with other egrets. Often gathers in flocks, frequently following cattle or tractors in fields.

The Western Cattle-Egret is a gregarious, white, upland heron ( Ardeidae ), easily recognized by its foraging association with grazing animals and its exaggerated head-waving. It is distinguished from the Eastern Cattle-Egret (Ardea coromanda) due to having less buffy-orange breeding plumage on the head and neck regions. Its preference for grasslands, lawns, pastures, and grazing animals is quite distinct from that of other herons and egrets, which usually feed in or beside water and not in close association with livestock. In Britain and Europe, it is also known as the buffalo heron, referring to the color of its breeding plumes; but in many languages, it is simply called the cow crane, cow heron, or cowbird, or named after the wild grazing animal with which it is usually associated, e.g., elephant bird, rhinoceros egret, or hippopotamus egret. 

The Western Cattle-Egret's Arabic name, Abu Qerdan, means "father of ticks" and refers to the abundance of ticks on Egyptian herons. Other names that include the word "tick," such as "tickbird," refer to the mistaken belief that they pick attached ticks off grazing animals; instead, most of their prey are insects disturbed by grazing animals. Derivation of the scientific name:Bubulcus(the previous genus) from Latin "belonging to cattle" andibisfrom the Greek in reference to its slightly curved beak like that of the ibis.

28-2-2019 GANDIA, VALENCIA - COMMON MALLOW (Malva sylvestris)

Malva sylvestris is a species of the mallow genus Malva in the family of Malvaceae and is considered to be the type species for the genus. Known as common mallow to English-speaking Europeans, it acquired the common names of cheeses, high mallow and tall mallow (mauve des bois by the French) as it migrated from its native home in Western Europe, North Africa and Asia through the English-speaking world.

M. sylvestris is a vigorous plant with showy flowers of bright mauve-purple, with dark veins, standing 3–4 feet (0.91–1.22 m) high and growing freely in meadows, hedgerows and in fallow fields.

It is one of several species of different genera sometimes referred to as Creeping Charlie, a term more commonly applied to Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy).

Common mallow is a herbaceous perennial with an erect or decumbent branched stem up to 1 m (sometimes 1.5 m) long. The minutely-ridged stems are covered with fine soft hairs, sometimes with a slightly bulbous base. The leaves are alternate, with a petiole up to 20 cm long, simple but palmate, up to 7 cm long by 10 cm wide, with stellate hairs (i.e. several strands radiating from a common center) and prominent veins on the underside.

The flowers are reddish-purple with dark stripes and occur in axillary clusters of 2 to 4 along the main stem with the flowers at the base opening first. There are 5 petals, each being up to 20 mm long, and 5 sepals, 3-6 mm long, which are fused in the lower half, and have broadly triangular lobes. There is also an epicalyx (or false calyx) with oblong segments, two-thirds as long as calyx lobes (2–3 mm long x 1.5 mm wide).

28-2-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MOTHER OF THOUSANDS (Bryophyllum delagoense)

Kalanchoe delagoensis, formerly known as Bryophyllum delagoense and commonly called mother of millions or chandelier plant, is a succulent plant native to Madagascar. Like other members of Bryophyllum (now included in Kalanchoe, it is able to propagate vegetatively from plantlets that develop on its leaf margins.

It is a robust, completely bare, biennial or more or less perennial, succulent plant that reaches heights of between 0.2 and 2 meters. The upright stems are simple and round. The three-seated, seemingly opposite or alternate leaves are usually upright to straight when spread out. They are slightly cylindrical, a little rutty on the top and reach a length of 1 to 13 centimeters with a diameter of 2 to 6 millimeters. The leaf blade narrowed at the base is reddish-green to gray-green with reddish brown spots. At the tip of the leaf margin there are two to nine small teeth on which there are numerous brood buds.

The compact, multi-flowered inflorescences form thyrses 10 to 25 centimeters long. The slender flower stalk is between 6 and 20 millimeters long. The hermaphrodite flowers are hanging. The reddish to green and red-striped petals are fused together like a bell. The 2.5 to 6 millimeter long corolla tube ends in sharply pointed, triangular-lanceolate corolla lobes 5 to 10 millimeters long and 3.7 to 5.7 millimeters wide. The stamens are attached below the center of the corolla tube and do not protrude beyond the tube. The 2 to 2.5 millimeters large anthers are egg-shaped. The nectar flakes, 0.7 to 2 centimeters long are half-round to square with a rounded tip. The oval-elongated carpel is 5.5 to 6.5 millimeters long. The stylus has a length of about 2 millimeters.

27-2-2019 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - COMMON CYLINDRIC GRASSHOPPER (Tropidopola cylindrica)

The Common Cylindric Grasshopper (Tropidopola cylindrica) is known for its elongated, cylindrical body, found in damp habitats like reeds in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, often near water in semi-desert areas. They're usually light brown, rest motionless on plants, and flee by flying rather than jumping, with adults hibernating through cooler months. 

Key Characteristics & Habitat

Appearance: Slender, elongated, cylindrical body, typically light brown.

Habitat: Damp meadows, reed beds, and vegetation around water in desert/semi-desert regions.

Location: Africa, Asia (Middle East, Asia Minor, Cyprus).

Size: Adults can reach about 20mm, with slight variations between sexes.

28-2-2019 GANDIA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (MALE) (Turdus merula)

The Common Blackbird, Turdus merula, is a true thrush and a familiar sight in gardens and woodlands. The male is distinguished by its all-black plumage, bright yellow eye-ring, and orange-yellow bill, which darkens slightly during winter. Females and juveniles are more demure in their attire, sporting mainly dark brown feathers.

Adult males are entirely black with the exception of the yellow eye-ring and bill. Females are sooty-brown with a duller bill, and juveniles resemble females but have pale spots on their upperparts. The very young may also exhibit a speckled breast.

The Common Blackbird thrives in a variety of habitats including woodlands with dense undergrowth, gardens, parks, and hedgerows. It shows a preference for deciduous trees and areas with thick vegetation.

This species is widespread across Europe, western Asia, and North Africa. It has also been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. Its range varies from resident populations in the milder regions to partially or fully migratory populations in areas with more severe winters.

The Common Blackbird is territorial, especially during breeding season, with males displaying distinctive threat behaviors to ward off rivals. Outside of breeding season, they can be more sociable, often forming small flocks. The species is known for its adaptability to urban environments, where it may overwinter more readily than in rural settings.

The male's song is a melodious and fluted warble, often heard from elevated perches during the breeding season. The Common Blackbird also has a repertoire of calls including a sharp "seee" when agitated and a "pook-pook-pook" to signal ground predators.

Monogamous by nature, the Common Blackbird builds a neat, cup-shaped nest, often in dense shrubbery. The female lays three to five bluish-green eggs adorned with reddish-brown blotches. Both parents are involved in feeding the altricial chicks until they fledge.

An omnivore, the Common Blackbird forages primarily on the ground for insects, earthworms, seeds, and berries. It is adept at pulling earthworms from the soil and foraging through leaf litter for other invertebrates.

The IUCN lists the Common Blackbird as Least Concern. It has a vast range and a large, stable population, though there have been localized declines due to changes in agricultural practices and urbanization.

28-2-2019 GANDIA, VALENCIA - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

The white wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a small passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which also includes pipits and longclaws. The species breeds in the Palearctic zone in most of Europe and Asia and parts of North Africa; it also has a toehold in western Alaska as a scarce breeder. It is resident in the mildest parts of its range, but otherwise migrates to Africa. In total, there are between 9 and 11 subspecies of M. alba; in Ireland and Great Britain, the black-backed subspecies known as the pied wagtail (M. a. yarrellii) predominates.

The white wagtail is an insectivorous bird of open country, often near habitation and water. It prefers bare areas for feeding, where it can see and pursue its prey. In urban areas, it has adapted to foraging on paved areas such as car parks. It nests in crevices in stone walls and similar natural and human-made structures. 

28-2-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN ROBIN (Erithacus rubecula)

The European robin (Erithacus rubecula), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain and Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird, a member of the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. It is a plucky little bird, with a length of about 12.5–14.0 cm and a weight of 16–22 g. Both sexes are similarly adorned with an orange breast and face, lined with grey, brown upper-parts, and a whitish belly.

Adult robins can be identified by their orange breast and face, bordered by a bluish-grey on the sides of the neck and chest. The upperparts are brownish, or olive-tinged in British birds, and the belly is whitish. The bill and eyes are black. Juvenile robins are distinguishable by their spotted brown and white plumage, with patches of orange gradually appearing as they mature.

The European robin is a bird of diverse habitats, found in woodlands, gardens, and parks across its range. It is particularly associated with areas where the soil is dug or disturbed, allowing it easy access This bird has a wide distribution across Europe, extending east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa. It is sedentary in most of its range except the far north, where it is migratory.

27-1-2019 XERACO, VALENCIA - HOUSE SPARROW (MALE) (Passer domesticus)

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a member of the sparrow family Passeridae. This small bird typically measures around 16 cm (6.3 in) in length and weighs between 24–39.5 g (0.85–1.39 oz). The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with females and young birds displaying pale brown and grey plumage, while males are characterized by more vibrant black, white, and brown markings.

Males can be identified by their bright black, white, and brown markings, with a distinctive black bib, white cheeks, and a grey crown. Females lack the striking head patterns of males and are predominantly buffish with softer coloration. Juveniles resemble adult females but are generally paler with less defined markings.

The house sparrow is highly adaptable and can thrive in both urban and rural environments. It is commonly found in close association with human habitation and avoids dense forests, grasslands, polar regions, and deserts far from human development.

Native to Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and much of Asia, the house sparrow has been introduced to various regions worldwide, including parts of Australasia, Africa, and the Americas, making it one of the most widely distributed wild birds.

House sparrows are social birds, often seen in flocks. They exhibit a range of behaviors, including dust or water bathing and communal roosting. Males are known to be territorial around their nesting sites.

The house sparrow's vocalizations are predominantly variations of a simple chirping call. Males may sing or give an "ecstatic call" during the breeding season, and the species uses a variety of calls for different social interactions.

House sparrows are generally monogamous and may mate for life. They can breed in the season following their hatching and often produce multiple clutches per year, with each clutch containing up to five eggs. Nest sites are varied, with a preference for cavities.

An opportunistic feeder, the house sparrow's diet consists mainly of seeds from grains and weeds, but it also consumes insects and other invertebrates, especially during the breeding season when feeding young.

26-2-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PINE PROCESSIONARY CATERPILLAR (Thaumetopoea pityocampa)

The pine processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a moth of the subfamily Thaumetopoeinae in the family Notodontidae, known for the irritating hairs of its caterpillars, their processions, and the economic damage they cause in coniferous forests. The species was first described scientifically by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775, though it was known to the ancients, with remedies described by Theophrastus, Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder. Its processionary behaviour was described in 1916 by the French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre. It is one of the most destructive species to pines and cedars in Central Asia, North Africa and southern Europe.

The species is notable for the behaviour of its caterpillars, which overwinter in tent-like nests high in pine trees, and which proceed through the woods in nose-to-tail columns, protected from predators by their severely irritating hairs.

The species is one of the few insects where the larva develops in winter in temperate zones. Global warming is causing the species to affect forests progressively further north. The urticating hairs of the caterpillar larvae cause harmful (and in some cases allergic) reactions, in humans and other mammals.

The French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre conducted a famous study on the pine processionary caterpillar where a group of them followed head-to-tail in a circle around the rim of a flower pot; they continued marching in the circle for a week. He described the experiment in his 1916 book The Life of the Caterpillar. The study has been cited innumerable times by inspirational and religious speakers who view it as a metaphor for blindly following a leader or for confusing activity with accomplishment. Fabre considered his caterpillars to be mindless automatons, trapped because they were pre-programmed to blindly follow trails, in this case the endless one that they had laid down around the circular pot rim. Fabre's caterpillars may have been physically trapped on the narrow rim of the pot, but circular trails established by young caterpillars do continue to circle for as long as 12 hours even when free on a flat surface.

The adult is a stout furry moth which holds its wings like a tent over the body, in the manner of the eggar moths (Lasiocampidae). The adult is larger than the oak processionary, Thaumetopoea processionea, has a crescent marking on the wings (unlike the pale eggar moth; the oak processionary has an indistinct marking), and is found in coniferous rather than broad-leaved forests. The caterpillars are readily recognised by their processionary habit and their presence (with large silken nests and signs of defoliation) in coniferous woods. They are orange-brown and hairy with blue bands.

The species is native to the southern Mediterranean area, North Africa, the Middle East, and southern Europe. It has been spreading northwards since the 1990s, assisted by climate change and by commercial activities including planting of host trees and transportation, and has reached Brittany, forests to the north of Paris, and Strasbourg in northern France.

Though most individuals of the species only live one year, some in high altitudes or more northern areas may survive for over two years. Each female lays an "enormous number" of eggs near the tops of pine trees. After hatching, the larvae eat pine needles while progressing through five stages of development (instars). To survive through the winter, the caterpillars construct a nest of silk threads, making them one of the few species of temperate zone insects where the larvae develop in winter. Around the beginning of April, the caterpillars leave the nests in the procession for which the species is known. They burrow underground, pupate, and emerge between mid May and August.

The eggs are laid in cylindrical bodies ranging from 4 to 5 centimetres (1.6 to 2.0 in) in length. The eggs are covered with scales which come from the female and mimic pine shoots.

The larva is a major forest pest, living communally in large "tents", usually in pine trees but occasionally in cedar or larch, marching out at night in single file (hence the common name) to feed on the needles. There are often several such tents in a single tree. When they are ready to pupate, the larvae march in their usual fashion to the ground, where they disperse to pupate singly on or just below the surface.

25-2-2019 LES FOIES BARX, VALENCIA - COMMON THYME (Thymus vulgaris)

Thymus vulgaris (common thyme, German thyme, garden thyme or just thyme) is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to southern Europe from the western Mediterranean to southern Italy. Growing to 15–30 cm (6–12 in) tall by 40 cm (16 in) wide, it is a bushy, woody-based evergreen subshrub with small, highly aromatic, grey-green leaves and clusters of purple or pink flowers in early summer.

It is useful in the garden as groundcover, where it can be short-lived, but is easily propagated from cuttings. It is also the main source of thyme as an ingredient in cooking and as a herbal medicine. It is slightly spicier than oregano and sweeter than sage.

The Latin specific epithet vulgaris means “common” in the sense of “widespread”.

Numerous cultivars and hybrids have been developed for ornamental purposes. Nomenclature can be very confusing. French, German and English varieties vary by leaf shape and colour and essential oils. The many cultivars include 'Argenteus' (silver thyme).

The cultivar 'Silver Queen', with white-margined leaves, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

25-2-2019 LES FOIES BARX, VALENCIA - SHRUBBY GLOBULARIA (Globularia alypum)

Globularia alypum, the Alypo globe daisy or shrubby globularia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae, with a Mediterranean distribution. A shrub that is often co-dominant in the calcareous shrublands in which it occurs, it is a purgative.

25-2-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLAIR'S MOCHA MOTH (Cyclophora puppillaria)

Cyclophora puppillaria, or Blair's mocha, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1799. It can be found in Europe and from North Africa up to the Caucasus area.

The wingspan is 28–36 mm in the first generation; the second and any subsequent generations are on average much smaller often only 19 mm. Front and hindwings have almost the same colour. This is however very variable and ranges usually from reddish brown to reddish yellow and light brown. Some specimens are sand coloured, brown or orange. Also, the pattern is very variable. The inner and outer cross lines, as well as the median band can be very well developed, but also almost completely missing. 

The interior cross line, but especially the outer cross line is often replaced by a row of dots. The discal spots on the front and rear wings can be large, small or completely absent. In specimens with large discal spots, these are often with white pupils. The front wing margin stains present on the hindwings, but mostly absent. The basal half of the costa is often dark. Where the inner and outer cross line reach the costal of the forewings, noticeable spots are usually developed. The fringes usually have the colour of the wings. The subspecies lilacinipes of Madeira has a dark fringe.

The moths fly from June to October depending on the location.

The larvae feed on oak.

25-2-2019 LES FOIES BARX, VALENCIA - SPANISH FESTOON BUTTERFLY (Zerynthia rumina)

Zerynthia rumina, the Spanish festoon, is a butterfly belonging to the family Papilionidae. It is a widespread species in Iberia and frequents most habitats.

North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula and southern France.

Zerynthia rumina is an extremely striking species. In south east France it can be confused with the southern festoon (Zerynthia polyxena). The two can be told apart by the presence of blue on the hindwing of the southern festoon. The Spanish festoon also has extensive red on the forewings.

The Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) is a striking springtime butterfly in Southern Europe/North Africa, known for its bright yellow, black, and red patterns, feeding on Birthwort (Aristolochia) plants, which makes it unpalatable to predators, with males being territorial and flying low in sunny, scrubby habitats from March to June, laying eggs singly on host plants. 

Key Facts

Appearance: Features vibrant yellow, black, and red markings, with a unique "dazzle" pattern for predator confusion; wings often held wide open at rest.

Diet: Caterpillars feed exclusively on Aristolochia (Birthwort) plants, making them toxic to predators, a trait retained into adulthood.

Habitat: Prefers dry, stony, scrubby grasslands and woodland edges in the Iberian Peninsula, Southern France, and North Africa.

Flight: A single brood flies in spring (March-June); adults are active for only a few weeks, flying low and erratically.

Behavior: Males are territorial, patrolling for females; after mating, females lay eggs singly on host plants.

Identification: Easily distinguished from the similar Southern Festoon by its strong red markings on the forewings, notes euroButterflies.com. 

Life Cycle & Habits

Eggs: Laid singly on birthwort, turning bluish before hatching.

Caterpillars: Feed on birthwort flowers and leaves, becoming spiny and toxic.

Pupation: Overwinters as a chrysalis, attached to a support.

Adults: Feed on nectar from lavenders and thymes but focus on reproduction; their short lifespan means females lay eggs quickly. 

24-2-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SEED BUG (Spilostethus furculus)

Spilostethus furcula is a seed bug (Lygaeidae family) from Africa, spreading in the Mediterranean, feeding on Solanaceae (like tomatoes), known for its distinct black & grey markings, oval shape (9-11mm), and red nymphs, often noted as an introduced species in Europe, appearing in Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Malta, extending its range. 

Identification & Biology

Appearance: Adults are oval, greyish-black with a unique black central triangular mark on the back (exocorio), dark wings, 9-11 mm long.

Nymphs: Start dark red, becoming darker with age, with distinct patterns.

Diet: Feeds on plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), including cultivated tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). 

Distribution & Movement

Origin: Afrotropical (African) species, but now widely found in the Mediterranean Region.

Range: Includes North Africa (Algeria, Morocco), Middle East, and recently recorded across Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece, Malta).

Spread: Appears to be actively expanding its range within the Mediterranean, possibly via accidental import. 

Significance

Pest Potential: Feeds on cultivated plants like tomatoes, making it a potential agricultural pest as it spreads.

Research Interest: Noteworthy for its expanding European presence, with recent records in Greece, Italy, and the Balearic Islands. 

24-2-2019 PALMA DE GANDIA, VALENCIA - OCEAN BLUE MORNING GLORY (Ipomoea indica)

Ipomoea indica is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, known by several common names, including blue morning glory, oceanblue morning glory, koali awa, and blue dawn flower. It bears heart-shaped or three-lobed leaves and purple or blue funnel-shaped flowers 6–8 cm (2–3 in) in diameter, from spring to autumn. The flowers produced by the plant are hermaphroditic. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

The plant is grown as an ornamental for its attractive flowers, but is considered invasive in many regions of the world, being specifically listed on New Zealand's Biosecurity Act 1993.

The Latin specific epithet indica means from India, or the East Indies or China. In this case, the name likely refers to the West Indies, as I. indica is native to the New World.

Ipomoea indica is a vigorous, long-lived, tender, perennial plant, a vine which is native to tropical, subtropical and warm temperate habitats throughout the world. It blooms all year long. They can most commonly be found in disturbed forests, forest edges, secondary woodland, suburban gullies, and along roadsides and waterways. The plant climbs well over other plants, walls and slopes as growing on the bottom. Its climbing habit allows it to compete with trees and shrubs successfully. It is a twisting, occasionally lying, herbaceous plant which is more or less densely hairy on the axial parts with backward-looking trichomes. The stems can grow 3 to 6 centimetres (1.2 to 2.4 in) long and sometimes have roots at the nodes.

The crown is funnel-shaped, 5 to 8 centimetres (2.0 to 3.1 in) long, glabrous, bright blue or bluish purple, with age they become reddish purple or red. The centre of the crown is a little paler.

I. indica is a long-lived plant that can live up to 25 years.

24-2-2019 PALMA DE GANDIA, VALENCIA - SOFT STORK'S BILL (Erodium malacoides)

Erodium malacoides is a species of flowering plant in the geranium family known by the common names mallow-leaved stork's bill, Mediterranean stork's bill, and soft stork's-bill. It is an annual or biennial herb which is native to the Mediterranean region in southern Europe (north to 49°N in western France), northern Africa, and southwest Asia. It can be found locally elsewhere is an introduced species.

The young plant grows a number of rugose green leaves, radially outward flat against the ground. The stems reach 10–60 cm in height, with more leaves on long, hairy petioles, with glandular hairs. It bears small flowers in umbels of 3–7 together; they are 10–16 mm diameter, with fuzzy, soft spine-tipped sepals and five purplish petals 5-9 mm long with rounded (not notched) apices. The fruit is green with a glandular body about 5 mm long, with a long, pointed style 18–35 mm long. It grows in dry, sunny habitats. In the south of its range in Malta, it flowers from January to June, while further north in western France, from June to August.

24-2-2019 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - SILVER WATTLE (Acacia retinodes)

Acacia retinodes is an evergreen shrub that is native to South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Short racemes of yellow flowers are produced periodically throughout the year. Some common names are retinodes water wattle, swamp wattle, wirilda, ever-blooming wattle and silver wattle.

The tree typically grows to a height of 6 to 10 m (20 to 33 ft) and is able to form suckers. It has furrowed bark with a rough texture that is dark brown to black in colour. It has glabrous branchlets that are sometimes pendulous or angular or flattened at extremities. Like most species of Acacia it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. The green to grey-green, glabrous and variable phyllodes are quite crowded on stems and have a narrowly oblanceolate to linear shape. The phyllodes are 5 to 16 cm (2.0 to 6.3 in) in length and 3 to 16 mm (0.12 to 0.63 in) wide with one main nerve per face. It mostly blooms in summer between December and February.

The species was first formally described by the botanist Diederich Franz Leonhard von Schlechtendal in 1847 as part of the work Sudaustralische Pflanzen. II. Bestimmung und Beschreibung der von Dr Behr in Sudaustralien gesammelten Pflanzen as published in the journal Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. It was reclassified as Racosperma retinodes by Leslie Pedley in 2003 then transferred back to genus Acacia in 2007.

In South Australia it is native to the Mount Lofty Ranges from around Mount Clare to Mount Bryan extending down the Fleurieu Peninsula to around Delamere and Normanville in the south and is regarded as a weed further to the southeast. It is commonly situated on low ranges and hills as a part of Eucalyptus woodland communities.

It is used for environmental management and for ornamental purposes. It produces good quantities of gum and its bark is good for tanning. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. In temperate regions it requires a frost-free sheltered spot with full sun. Indigenous Australians ate the gum, after softening it in water, to relieve chest pains.

The plant is grown as a house plant in temperate climates, where it is resistant to most diseases and pests. It can be grown in almost any well-drained potting soil, but requires ample light and water from spring to summer. Watering should be reduced in the fall and winter. Repotting is generally necessary at the start of each growth season. The plant is usually propagated from seed, but can be propagated from cuttings, though these may take several months to root.