Thursday, 4 April 2019
4-4-2019 POTRIES, VALENCIA - ARABIAN PEA (Bituminaria bituminosa)
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Bituminaria bituminosa, the Arabian pea or pitch trefoil, is a perennial Mediterranean herb species in the genus Bituminaria.
The pterocarpans bitucarpin A and B can be isolated from the aerial parts of B. bituminosa.
It has several potential uses: (i) forage crop, (ii) Phytostabilization of heavy metal contaminated or degraded soils, (iii) Synthesis of furanocoumarins (psoralen, angelicin, xanthotoxin and bergapten), compounds of broad pharmaceutical interest.
It is easily recognizable by the characteristic smell of bitumen from its leaves. This strong tar-like characteristic aroma appears to be the result of a combination of several substances such as phenolics, sulphurated compounds, sesquiterpenes and probably short-chain hydrocarbon. Total polyphenols content was < 2% and the condensed tannins was <0.8% in a dry weight basis.
Wednesday, 3 April 2019
3-4-2019 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - GREATER FLAMINGO (Phoenicopterus roseus)
The Greater flamingo inhabits Africa, the Middle East, southern Europe, and the Indian subcontinent. They occur in relatively shallow water bodies, such as saline lagoons, salt pans, large alkaline or saline lakes, and estuaries. Breeding takes place on sandbanks, mudflats, sandy or rocky islands, or open beaches.
Greater flamingos are very social. They travel in groups numbering up to thousands and they communicate by using visual and auditory cues. Greater flamingos are partially dispersive and migratory. They are traveling constantly, seeking areas with enough resources to sustain the whole flock, especially during the mating season. Greater flamingos keep their chicks together in crèches. Adults supervising crèches tend to act in a hostile way toward hatchlings if their own young are not in that crèche. Greater flamingos are diurnal, feeding during the day. Being bottom feeders, they rely on water levels that are low, and they move to new areas to find appropriate feeding conditions. They often bathe in fresh shallow water and preen their feathers to remove salt from them. They are not territorial birds but during breeding season they do defend their nests.
Greater flamingos are serially monogamous birds, forming pair bonds that remain together only for a single breeding season. They breed in dense colonies numbering up to 20,000 or more pairs. They perform spectacular group displays of courtship, involving ritualized preening, synchronized wing-raising, and head-flagging, where they raise their necks and beaks and turn their heads from side to side. Breeding seasons vary with location, occurring in some areas at irregular intervals, following the rains. Nest-building is done in pairs. A single chalky-white egg is laid, rarely two. Both parents share the incubation of 27-31 days. After several days of being brooded by both parents, the chick joins a crèche with many other chicks. Both parents feed the chick, with the typical milk that is secreted in the adults' upper digestive tract. Chicks fledge between 65 and 90 days after hatching and become reproductively mature between 4 and 6 years of age.
Greater flamingos are threatened by human disturbance and lowering water levels, which increases the salinity of sites where they feed and so can affect food resources, or cause thick soda deposits which can harm the legs of chicks. The potential effects of climate change on rainfall and sea level may therefore impact breeding sites seriously in the future. Further threats to greater flamingos include disease, pollution, lead poisoning (from the ingesting of lead shot), and habitat loss as a result of industrial and harbor development or drainage of the wetlands for agriculture. Large numbers of greater flamingos in Egypt are shot or captured for sale in markets, and the collection of eggs remains a threat in some areas, such as Algeria.
3-4-2019 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - COMMON SHELDUCK (MALE) (Tadorna tadorna)
The common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) is a waterfowl species of the shelduck genus, Tadorna. It is widespread and common in the Euro-Siberian region of the Palearctic, mainly breeding in temperate and wintering in subtropical regions; in winter, it can also be found in the Maghreb.
Fossil bones from Dorkovo (Bulgaria) described as Balcanas pliocaenica may actually belong to this species. More likely, they are an extinct species of Tadorna (if not a distinct genus) due to their Early Pliocene age; the present species is not unequivocally attested from the fossil record until some 2–3 million years later (Late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene).
The common shelduck resembles a small short-necked goose in size and shape. It is a striking bird, with a reddish-pink bill, pink feet, a white body with chestnut patches and a black belly, and a dark green head and neck. The wing coverts are white, the primary remiges black, and the secondaries green (only showing in flight) and chestnut. The underwings are almost entirely white. Sexes are similar, but the female is smaller, with some white facial markings, while the male is particularly crisply coloured in the breeding season, his bill bright red and bearing a prominent knob at the forehead.
Ducklings are white, with black cap, hindneck and wing and back patches. Juveniles are similarly coloured, greyish above and mostly white below, but already have the adult's wing pattern.
3-4-2019 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - COMMON SHELDUCK (MALE and FEMALE)
The common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) is a waterfowl species of the shelduck genus, Tadorna. It is widespread and common in the Euro-Siberian region of the Palearctic, mainly breeding in temperate and wintering in subtropical regions; in winter, it can also be found in the Maghreb.
Fossil bones from Dorkovo (Bulgaria) described as Balcanas pliocaenica may actually belong to this species. More likely, they are an extinct species of Tadorna (if not a distinct genus) due to their Early Pliocene age; the present species is not unequivocally attested from the fossil record until some 2–3 million years later (Late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene).
The common shelduck resembles a small short-necked goose in size and shape. It is a striking bird, with a reddish-pink bill, pink feet, a white body with chestnut patches and a black belly, and a dark green head and neck. The wing coverts are white, the primary remiges black, and the secondaries green (only showing in flight) and chestnut. The underwings are almost entirely white. Sexes are similar, but the female is smaller, with some white facial markings, while the male is particularly crisply coloured in the breeding season, his bill bright red and bearing a prominent knob at the forehead.
Tuesday, 2 April 2019
30-3-2018 KYNSNA, SOUTH AFRICA - SOUTHERN FISCAL SHRIKE (lanius collaris)
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The Southern Fiscal (Lanius collaris), is a striking bird of the shrike family, prevalent throughout much of southern Africa. It is colloquially referred to as the 'jackie hangman' or 'butcher bird', a nod to its unique habit of impaling its prey on acacia thorns, a larder for future feasting. This bird was once considered conspecific with the Northern Fiscal, Lanius humeralis, under the collective title of the Common Fiscal.
Adult Southern Fiscals measure between 21 to 23 centimeters in length. They exhibit a bold dichromatic plumage with crisp white underparts contrasting sharply against their sleek black upperparts. A distinctive white "V" marks their back, and their long black tail is adorned with white outer feathers and white tips. Both sexes possess a black bill, eyes, and legs, with the female distinguished by her rufous lower flanks.
The Southern Fiscal is an adaptable species, inhabiting a variety of environments from grasslands adorned with fences suitable for perching, to acacia thornveld and even woodlands. It tends to avoid overly dense areas that would hinder its hunting prowess.
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This bird's range extends across southern and eastern parts of the African continent, including parts of Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.
A solitary hunter, the Southern Fiscal typically perches in exposed locations or atop shrubs, from where it preys on insects and small rodents. Its territorial range is influenced by the availability of perching sites, with an increase in artificial perches leading to a reduction in territory size. The bird's hunting strategies and physiology adapt to seasonal variations, with changes in body temperature, metabolic rate, and hunting methods observed in response to different environmental conditions.
The Southern Fiscal's vocal repertoire includes a mix of shrike-like sounds, ranging from harsh alarm calls to more melodious songs. While its song may sound sweet, it is generally used for territorial defense or pair bonding.
The Southern Fiscal's diet consists primarily of insects and small rodents. It has been noted as a significant predator of the plain tiger butterfly in eastern Africa. Seasonal changes influence its foraging behavior, with the bird adjusting its hunting times, attack rates, and prey size in response to the availability of food.
The IUCN Red List classifies the Southern Fiscal as Least Concern, indicating that the species does not currently face any significant threats to its survival.
30-3-2018 KNYSNA, SOUTH AFRICA - BLACK EYED SUSAN VINE (Thunbergia alata)
Thunbergia alata, commonly called black-eyed Susan vine, is a herbaceous perennial climbing plant species in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to Eastern Africa, and has been naturalized in other parts of the world.
It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens and in hanging baskets. The name 'Black-eyed Susan' is thought to have come from a character that figures in many traditional ballads and songs. In the Ballad of Black-eyed Susan by John Gay, Susan goes aboard a ship in-dock to ask the sailors where her lover Sweet William has gone. Black-eyed Susan is also a name given to other species of flowers in the genus Rudbeckia.
The plant is originally from East Africa, and has almost a world distribution including tropical and subtropical areas like China, eastern Australia, Hawaii, Southern US in the states of Texas and Florida, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, South Africa, Portugal, Japan, New Zealand, Cerrado vegetation of Brazil, Argentina, Madagascar, India, Thailand and Philippines, among others.
It is used all around the world as a garden plant, but has managed to "escape" to the wilderness, naturalizing in tropical and temperate forests. It has been widely reported as Invasive species, especially in the Caribbean and Pacific islands, from Mexico to Colombia, and in Japan, due to the fast growing of the plant; the ease of wild pollination during sporadic flowering times; its vine-growing strategies that strangle or create shadow on other plants; its difficulty to eradicate by hand (as it leaves underground rhizomes that rapidly grow back); its lack of usual predators in non native regions; plus, people who are unaware of its harmful nature to other plants in the wilderness tend to admire its beauty and might opt not to remove it.
30-3-2018 KYNSNA, SOUTH AFRICA - SOUTHERN OSTRICH (Struthio camelus ssp. australis)
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The South African ostrich (Struthio camelus australis), also known as the black-necked ostrich, Cape ostrich or southern ostrich is a subspecies of the common ostrich endemic to Southern Africa. It is widely farmed for its meat, eggs and feathers.
The South African ostrich is found in South Africa, Namibia, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola and Botswana. It lives in south of the rivers Zambezi and Cunene.
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It is farmed for its eggs, meat, leather and feathers in the Little Karoo area of Cape Province.
Feral South African ostriches roam the Australian outback after having escaped from farms in the 20th century. The extent of their range in Australia is not known.
31-3-2018 WILDERNESS NAT PRK, SOUTH AFRICA - COMMON BUSH BROWN BUTTERFLY (Bicyclus safitza)
Bicyclus safitza, the common bush brown or common savanna bush brown, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in all of Africa south of the Sahara. Its preferred habitat is forests and other well-wooded habitats.
The wingspan is 40–45 mm for males and 43–48 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round.
The larvae feed on various grasses, including Ehrharta erecta.
Subspecies and forms
B. s. safitza – south of Sahara except Ethiopia
wet-season form, f. safitza – south to Mpumalanga, South Africa
wet-season form, f. injusta – South African east coast regions
dry-season form, f. evenus – widespread
B. s. aethiops (Rothschild & Jordan, 1905) – Ethiopia
Sunday, 31 March 2019
Saturday, 30 March 2019
1-4-2018 BIRDS OF EDEN, SOUTH AFRICA - DOUBLE TOOTHED BARBET (Lybius bidentatus)
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The double-toothed barbet (Pogonornis bidentatus) is a species of bird in the family Lybiidae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. Within Lybius bidentatus, there are two subspecies: Lybius bidentatus bidentatus and Lybius bidentatus aequatorialis.
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Pogonornis bidentatus is a barbet with black and red coloring. Its bill is large and off-white, and the skin around its eyes is yellow. The double-toothed barbet is black on the top side of its body with a patch of white feathers on its back. Its breast is red, with a white patch on its side. Females and males have similar markings, except that females have lines of black feathers on the white side patch. Juveniles of the species are duller; their feathers are dark grey..
Its song is somewhat like a cat's purr. Sometimes pairs of double-toothed barbets will sing together.
Double-toothed barbets generally live in the understory of dense woodland. They occupy the edges of the woods, riparian forest, and secondary forest. Some may go into gardens and forage for fruit.
The double-toothed barbet is most likely to be confused with the black-breasted barbet or the bearded barbet. In flight, it's ungraceful.
Pogonornis bidentatus eats fruits and insects. They search in the foliage for food, usually staying below ten meters. Of insects, they eat beetles, termites, ants, and Hemiptera, which they find in the tree bark or in clusters of leaves. Often a double-toothed barbet will capture winged ants or termites while in flight. They also eat fruits: figs, papayas, avocados, and the fruits of the umbrella tree Musanga and of Solanum. Double-toothed barbets will eat the seeds of some fruits.
These barbets can be found in pairs or small family groups with helpers; lone double-toothed barbets are rare. Their territories are large.
Double-toothed barbets roost communally, as all the barbets in a group roost in the same hole. Nests are made by excavating a tree, often rotting, at above two meters. Both barbets in a pair will dig out the nesting hole, and both will defend it. The entrance to the nest is circular, five or more centimeters across. Some nests have an entrance tunnel. At maximum, a nest is 46 cm deep.
Friday, 29 March 2019
30-11-2015 SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - COMMON EVENING BROWN BUTTERFLY (Melanitis leda)
Melanitis leda, the common evening brown, is a common species of butterfly found flying at dusk. The flight of this species is erratic. They are found in Africa, South Asia and South-east Asia extending to parts of Australia.
Wet-season form: Forewing: apex subacute; termen slightly angulated just below apex, or straight. Upperside brown. Forewing with two large subapical black spots, each with a smaller spot outwardly of pure white inwardly bordered by a ferruginous interrupted lunule; costal margin narrowly pale. Hindwing with a dark, white-centred, fulvous-ringed ocellus subterminally in interspace two, and the apical ocellus, sometimes also others of the ocelli, on the underside, showing through.
Underside paler, densely covered with transverse dark brown striae; a discal curved dark brown narrow band on forewing; a post-discal similar oblique band, followed by a series of ocelli: four on the forewing, that in interspace 8 the largest; six on the hindwing, the apical and subtornal the largest.
Dry-season form: Forewing: apex obtuse and more or less falcate; termen posterior to falcation straight or sinuous. Upperside: ground colour similar to that in the wet-season form, the markings, especially the ferruginous lunules inwardly bordering the black sub-apical spots on forewing, larger, more extended below and above the black costa. Hindwing: the ocellus in interspace 2 absent, posteriorly replaced by three or four minute white subterminal spots.
Underside varies in colour greatly. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen in both seasonal forms brown or greyish brown: the antennae annulated with white, ochraceous at apex.
26-11-2015 BOTANICAL GARDENS, SINGAPORE - PINK WATER LILY (Nymphaea rubra)
Nymphaea rubra is a species of waterlily native to the region spanning from Sri Lanka and northeastern India to western and central Malesia. Additionally, it has been introduced to regions such as Southeast China, Cuba, Guyana, Hungary, and Suriname.
Nymphaea rubra has 15.1 cm long, and 7.9 cm wide rhizomes. The petiolate, orbicular leaves are 25–48 cm wide. The adaxial leaf surface is bronzy red to dark green, and the abaxial leaf surface is dark purple. The leaf venation is very prominent. The petiole is 140 cm long.
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The flowers are 15–25 cm wide. The four purplish-red sepals are oblong to lanceolate. The 12-20 narrowly oval petals have a rounded apex. The androecium consists of 55 red stamens. The gynoecium consists of 16-21 carpels. The fruit bears 1.85 mm long, and 1.6 mm wide seeds. The peduncle is 116 cm long. The flowers are pleasantly fragrant.
One case of the development of a proliferating pseudanthia has been reported for a Nymphaea rubra specimen cultivated in the Botanical Garden of the University of Heidelberg, Germany in 1886.
Nymphaea rubra may reproduce an apomictically.
It occurs in rivers, lakes, and ponds.
29-3-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - LOBONYX AENEUS BEETLE (Superfamily Cleroidea)
Lobonyx aeneus is a species of soft-winged flower beetles in the family Prionoceridae, found in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. Seen climing on the exterior wall of the house in Monte Corona, Valencia, Spain.
Thursday, 28 March 2019
Wednesday, 27 March 2019
27-3-2019 MARJAL DE MOROS, VALENCIA - KNAPWEED (Genus Centaurea)
Centaurea (/ˌsɛntɔːˈriːə/)[1] is a genus of over 700 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding regions are particularly species-rich.
Common names for this genus are centaury, centory, starthistles, knapweeds, centaureas and the more ambiguous bluets; a vernacular name used for these plants in parts of England is loggerheads (common knapweed). The Plectocephalus group – possibly a distinct genus – is known as basketflowers. Cornflower is used for a few species, but that term more often specifically means either C. cyanus (the annual cornflower) or Centaurea montana (the perennial cornflower). The common name centaury is sometimes used, although this also refers to the unrelated plant genus Centaurium.[2]
The name is said to be in reference to Chiron, the centaur of Greek mythology who discovered medicinal uses of a plant eventually called "centaury".
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